IAF jet ‘inadvertently' drops ammunition near Rajasthan’s Pokhran; probe ordered

It happened ‘due to a technical malfunction’, says the IAF

Tribune News Service

Updated At : 10:05 PM Aug 21, 2024 IST

No damage to life or property has been reported, the IAF said.

New Delhi, Aug 21

In a freak incident, an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet ‘inadvertently’ dropped its on-board ammunition near the Pokhran firing range area in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

It happened ‘due to a technical malfunction’, the IAF said. The jet had taken off from an IAF base in Rajasthan.

In IAF parlance, the ammunition carried under the belly of a jet is called ‘air stores’. These could be guided missiles or bombs.

An inquiry by the IAF has been ordered. No damage to life or property has been reported, the IAF said.

The Pokhran firing ranges are in western Rajasthan and are barely 100 km from the border with Pakistan. These ranges are used for air exercises by the IAF when its pilots test new equipment or newly inducted arsenal.