Indian News Unidentified Object Over Rajasthan Village Intercepted By Fighter Jet

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Residents of a Rajasthan village have alleged that "material" dropped by a fighter jet caused cracks in some houses

An Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30 fighter intercepted what the Air Force says is an "an unidentified balloon shaped object" in the Barmer area in Rajasthan near the border with Pakistan. Sources said detailed investigation is being conducted and that the possibility of the object traveling across the border has not been ruled out.

According to sources, radars of the Indian Air Force picked up the object between 10:30 and 11 this morning and launched at least one Sukhoi fighter to make an aerial intercept. Sources are not ruling out that the balloon shaped object flew across the border from Pakistan but have no information at this stage to suggest that it was a military platform with cameras and other devices for reconnaissance. Sources have also told NDTV that the Su-30 which made the intercept brought down the balloon using its main gun.

Meanwhile, a team of air force officers has travelled to Gugdi, a village in Barmer, where villagers complained that "material" dropped by a fighter plane had caused cracks in some houses. The Air Force denies that its jets dropped anything. It is possible that the minor damage to structures in the area could have been caused by a sonic boom by the fighter jet. Sonic booms are known to causes a huge vibration and sound when a fighter breaks the speed of sound and enters supersonic flight.

Local police also visited the village. Nobody was reported injured.

A loud explosion was accompanied by a dust-storm caused by the planes, said villagers.

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