No dangerous payload in balloon shot down by IAF jet near Barmer

Jaipur, January 27

No dangerous payload has been found in the balloon shot down yesterday by an IAF fighter jet near Barmer, bordering Pakistan, according to defence officials.

"On the analysis of the debris, it was established that there was no dangerous payload," defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha said today.

Sources said it was a private balloon and the possibility of it carrying any spying object is initially ruled out.

The IAF radar had picked up the unidentified balloon like object moving easterly in the Jaisalmer area, sending the authorities into a tizzy.

A fighter jet intercepted the object which was found to be balloon of about three meters diameter.

"Due to heightened security alert, the balloon was shot down," Ojha said.

Alert sounded at IGI airport as caller reports big balloon

Authorities at the Indira Gandhi International airport sounded an alert after they received a call about a "big balloon" hovering over it.

DK Gupta, DCP of the airport, said security agencies had been alerted.

"The airport was put on high alert after the Delhi International Airport Ltd call centre received a call about a big balloon spotted near the airport this evening at 5 pm. The caller said that the big balloon was heading t to Aya Nagar…" Gupta said. — PTI

— PTI