In a mysterious turn of events, the airspace over Imphal faced a temporary closure, leading to the suspension of all flight operations at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport for over three hours. This unusual incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon when an unidentified flying object (UFO) was sighted over the airport, prompting the activation of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Eastern Command’s air defense mechanism.
The IAF, in a post, revealed, “IAF activated its Air Defense Response mechanism based on visual inputs from the Imphal airport. The small object was not seen thereafter.”
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), at 2:30 pm, Imphal Air Traffic Control (ATC) received a telephonic message from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) control room reporting the sighting of a UFO flying over the terminal building. The mysterious object then moved southwards above the ATC, remaining stationary for a period, before heading southwest of the airfield and disappearing from view at 4:05 pm.
“The UFO was visible from the terrace of ATC by ATS personnel, public, local police, airline staff, and CISF personnel and was unidentified to all the viewers,” stated an AAI official. The object, described as white in color, was visible to the naked eye and became invisible with the onset of dusk.
In response to the sighting, the Eastern Command of IAF initiated “Mission Red & Mission Blue” at 3:55 pm, scrambling fighter planes in the Imphal airspace. This mission continued until 5:35 pm. Normal flight operations at the airport resumed at 5:50 pm following clearance from the IAF.
The incident has left authorities and eyewitnesses puzzled, raising questions about the nature of the unidentified flying object and its sudden disappearance. Investigations are underway to determine the origin and nature of the mysterious sighting that led to the temporary disruption of air traffic in Imphal.
Note: This news article is based on available information as of the current date and may be subject to updates as the investigation unfolds.
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