Policemen analyse the suspicious balloon-like object that was shot down by the IAF in Rajasthan’s Barmer on Tuesday. PTI

Tribune News Service,New Delhi, January 27

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said a balloon-shaped object that was shot down by a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft yesterday in Barmer, nearly 500 km from Rajasthan capital Jaipur, had come flying from across the border.“The Ministry of Defence has written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with Pakistan. Though it had no payload, it could have been sent to test our security and gauge our response time. In 15 minutes, Sukhoi (from Jodhpur) shot down the balloon after the radar noticed it coming from across the border,” Parrikar said.IAF officials on Tuesday said the object was flying in from the western sector (implying Pakistan side) and was shot down. The balloon was flying at an altitude of 8 km, which is unusual, and was around 3 metre is diameter. The balloon was made by a US company.“Between 1030 and 1100 hours today (Tuesday), an unidentified balloon-shaped object was picked up by the IAF radar. An IAF fighter was launched that intercepted the object and brought it down. Further investigation is underway,” an IAF spokesman said.No one was hurt nor was any damage caused to the property in the area, the spokesman said in Jaipur. Reports said it was a private balloon and the possibility of it carrying any spying object was initially ruled out.

IGI airport on alert

• An alert was sounded at the Indira Gandhi International airport on Wednesday after authorities received a call about a ‘big balloon’ hovering over it
• However, the Delhi Police in a tweet said the balloon belonged to the Indian Meteorological Department and there was nothing to panic about.“The so called suspicious balloon is of the Met Department. All safe. Pl do not panic.” PTI