Manipur UFO: All we know so far about the sighting in Imphal

The disruption caused delays for three flights and led to the diversion of two planes before services were normalised after three hours, they added. The Indian Air Force Eastern Command at Shillong was also informed, as per the official.

«Due to the sighting of an unidentified flying object within Imphal controlled airspace, two flights have been diverted and three departing flights have been delayed. Flight operations commence after receipt of clearance from the competent authority,» Airport Director Chipemmi Keishing said.

One of seven sister states in north-east India, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Assam share domestic borders with Manipur. The state also shares an international border to its east, with Myanmar.

— An official received a message from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at 2.30 pm on November 19 about sighting a UFO near the airport.

— The official told PTI the UFO was «visible with bare eyes moving westwards of the airfield till 4 pm».

— Among the diverted flights was the Kolkata to Imphal Indigo Airlines flight), which was sent to Guwahati after a 25-minute holdup.

— Delayed flights were however held up for at least three hours amid the UFO sighting.

— The Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled two of its Rafale fighter jets from a nearby airbase to the sighting area to search for the UFO, as per an ANI report citing defence sources.

— The sources added that the Rafale jets were equipped «with advanced sensors and carried out low-level flying over the suspected area to look for the UFO, but it did not find anything there».

— Sources added that concerned agencies are working to clear the details from videos captured by witnesses.

— The Indian Air Force Eastern Command at Shillong has also «activated» its response mechanism it said in a post on social media site X, writing: «IAF activated its Air Defence response mechanism based on visual inputs from Imphal airport. The small object was not seen thereafter.»

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Updated: 21 Nov 2023, 09:51 AM IST