Venezuela on Saturday accused the United States of carrying out airstrikes on civilian and military installations after a series of explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported over the capital, Caracas, around 2 am local time.

Residents across several neighbourhoods said they heard at least seven explosions as aircraft flew low over the city, triggering panic and sending people rushing into the streets. Smoke was seen billowing from a hangar at a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital reportedly lost power following the blasts.

“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker who was returning home with relatives. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”

In an official statement, the government of Venezuela said the attacks struck both civilian and military areas in Caracas as well as other states, calling the incident a “grave military aggression.” The statement urged supporters to mobilise, declaring: “People to the streets! The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces to activate mobilisation plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”

President Nicolás Maduro ordered the implementation of all national defence plans and declared a nationwide “state of external disturbance,” according to the statement. The government said the armed forces and security agencies were being deployed to safeguard sovereignty and public order. The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The escalation comes amid intensified US military operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, where Washington says it has been targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels in recent months. On Friday, Caracas said it was open to negotiating an agreement with Washington to combat drug trafficking, even as tensions remained high.

Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking to force a change of government in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves. In a pre-taped interview aired earlier this week, he said the pressure campaign began with a major US military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.

The US has charged Maduro with narco-terrorism, and American intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, were reportedly behind a recent drone strike on a docking area allegedly used by Venezuelan drug cartels, described as the first known direct US operation on Venezuelan soil in this campaign.

President Donald Trump has for months warned that strikes on Venezuelan land were possible. The US has also seized sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and imposed blockades aimed at tightening economic pressure. Since early September, US forces have carried out at least 35 known strikes on boats in the region, with the Trump administration saying at least 115 people have been killed.

American officials have justified the operations as necessary to stem drug flows into the US, arguing that Washington is engaged in an “armed conflict” with transnational drug cartels.

Meanwhile, Iran’s state television reported on the explosions in Caracas, broadcasting images from the capital. Tehran has maintained close ties with Caracas for years, united in opposition to US policy in the region.