The Defence Ministry on Wednesday released an official statement on the Indian Air Force fighter jet shooting down an unidentified balloon-shaped object over Rajasthan's Barmer district on Tuesday. The ministry said that the unidentified object with "a shining surface" had entered India from across the border in Pakistan. The object turned out to be a helium balloon with no payload, it added.

According to reports, the IAF jet fired 97 rounds at the balloon. "It was intercepted by [a] Su30 [fighter jet], and shot down," the ministry's statement said. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, "Pakistan needs to be told to avoid such incidents in future. It seems they were testing our response." The Defence Ministry has shared the details of the incident with the External Affairs Ministry, and asked it to take up the matter with Pakistan.

In a separate development, a suspicious balloon was spotted near Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday, reported ANI.