The IAF said the Sukhoi-30MKI used its 30mm auto-cannon to shoot down the "suspicious huge balloonlike object". "Further investigations are in progress," said an officer.
There was panic in a few villages, with explosions being reported and metal pieces falling from the sky. People in Kishor Ki Dhani at Gugai village in Balot ara sub-division and Panwada in Baytu, both in Barmer, heard a loud blast and rumours then spread of a bomb being dropped," Barmer superintendent of
police P Deshmukh said.
"A police team was sent to the spot at 1pm. Four-five cone-shaped shells were spotted and collected. We shall seek clarifications from IAF in this regard though these things don't seem like bomb parts," he added.
While there was no loss of life or damage to property, four to five houses are said to have developed cracks due to the explosion in Kishor Ki Dhani, which could be heard from a distance of over 10km.
Defence officials said the "shells" could be the 30mm rounds fired by Sukhoi-30MKI or debris from the "meteorological balloon-like object", which was oval-shaped with a five-metre diameter. The IAF also dispatched its teams, which included Garud commandos and a bomb disposal squad, to the spot. "The debris and other material recovered is being examined," said an official, adding that it could be a big advertising balloon with an internal metal mesh.
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