IAF fighter aircraft drops 'air store' near Pokhran, nobody hurt

Jaipur: An object fell from an IAF fighter aircraft in the Pokhran area of Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in an isolated area and there was no damage to life or property, authorities said.

"An inadvertent release of an air store from an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft took place near Pokhran firing range area, due to technical malfunction, today," the Indian Air Force (IAF) posted on 'X'.

An inadvertent release of an air store from an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft took place near Pokhran firing range area, due to technical malfunction, today. An enquiry by the IAF has been ordered to investigate into the incident. No damage to life or property has been…

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 21, 2024

The IAF said it has ordered an inquiry into the incident. It, however, did not reveal the exact nature of the "air store".

Sub-Inspector of Ramdevra police station Shankar Lal said some people heard a loud bang about a kilometre away from the village following which they rushed to the spot and found pieces of an object lying around.

What is an air store in fighter jets?

The air store refers to external equipment or munitions attached to a fighter jet's hard points that are located in its underbelly. These air stores can be jettisoned during combat missions. It is unknown which aircraft was involved in the incident and what the nature of the air store was.