An Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft on Wednesday faced a technical malfunction resulting in the inadvertent release of an "air store" near the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district, officials said.

The incident occurred earlier in the day, prompting air force authorities to initiate an investigation to determine the cause of the technical issue that led to the inadvertent release.

An air store in fighter jets refers to any external equipment or payload that can be attached to the aircraft for various missions. Air stores are modular and can be swapped out based on mission requirements, allowing the fighter jet to perform a wide range of roles from air-to-air combat to ground attack, reconnaissance, or electronic warfare.

No casualties or damage to property has been reported in the incident.

"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 reported," IAF posted on X.

According to officials, the released object was a practice bomb intended for drills in dropping bombs on designated targets. Upon its release, the practice bomb fell in an open area, causing a blast and creating a crater at the impact site, they said.

The Indian Air Force, however, has not disclosed the specific type of air store involved in the incident.

The practice bomb dropped close to Pokhran Field Firing range, and it fell in a nearby village. The location is close to the Western border of the country.

Speaking to news agency PTI, 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.

Source: India Today