A fighter jet of Indian Air Force accidentally drops a bomb near Pokhran, Rajasthan..

A fighter jet of the Indian Air Force inadvertently dropped an "airborne store" near the Pokhran firing ranges in Rajasthan on Wednesday. The term "airborne store" refers to external equipment or ammunition, missiles, and bombs attached to a fighter jet. The IAF confirmed the incident in a social media post on X, stating that no injuries or damage to property were reported. The Air Force said, "An inert training airborne store was inadvertently dropped from the fighter jet due to a technical malfunction," without specifying whether it was a bomb, missile, or another weapon. "An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident," they added..
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The practice bomb fell in an open area, causing a blast and creating a crater at the impact site. (Picture source: India Today/ Locals )

The accident occurred in an isolated and uninhabited area, far from densely populated regions. According to local police, a loud explosion created a crater 2.5 meters deep. The armed forces regularly test their weapons and conduct firing exercises at Pokhran. Both the Army and the Indian Air Force have various firing ranges in the region. The Pokhran firing range is located in the Thar Desert, a remote area used by the Indian armed forces for testing their weapons and conducting firing exercises.

Before the second phase of the multinational air combat exercise "Tarang Shakti," set to begin in Jodhpur on August 29, IAF fighters stationed at various air bases have been training for air-to-ground bombing missions at the Pokhran firing ranges. In April, the Indian Air Force conducted its largest exercise, "Gagan Shakti," at the Pokhran firing range in Jaisalmer. This exercise involved all major fighter jets, helicopters, and aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

The incident was relatively minor compared to the accidental launch of a supersonic BrahMos cruise missile with a range of 290 km. This missile landed 124 km inside Pakistan after being launched by an IAF ground unit on March 9, 2022. The unarmed BrahMos, a precision conventional strike weapon, safely crashed near the town of Mian Channu in Khanewal district in Punjab, Pakistan, within seven minutes of launch. Indian authorities quickly acknowledged the incident as an accident, attributing it to a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance. This incident could have led to a serious confrontation.