Manipur: IAF scrambles Rafale fighter planes to hunt ‘UFO’ sighted near Imphal airport
IMPHAL: The Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled its Rafale fighter planes to hunt down the “unidentified flying object (UFO)” that was sighted near the Imphal airport in Manipur on Sunday (November 19).
At least two Rafael fighter jets were scrambled by the IAF after being informed about the sighting of the ‘UFO’ near the Imphal airport in Manipur.
The Rafale jets took off from the Hasimara air base in West Bengal.
However, the jets could not spot anything, an India Today report stated.
The first aircraft returned to the base and the second was deployed towards the area to check again, but it could not ascertain anything.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) informed that it has activated its Air Defence response mechanism.
“IAF activated its Air Defence response mechanism based on visual inputs from Imphal airport. The small object was not seen thereafter,” the IAF said.
On the other hand, flight operations at the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport at Imphal in Manipur were halted for several hours after a ‘UFO’ sighting above the airport.
The diverted flights included an IndiGo flight from Kolkata which was initially instructed “to hold overhead”.
Later, it was diverted to Guwahati in Assam after 25 minutes.
