According to Indian media reports, residents in the Paddar area heard a powerful blast and later observed thick smoke rising from the nearby forest.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke, fuelling rumours that an IAF jet had gone down.

Some unverified claims suggested the aircraft may have been brought down by India’s own air defence system due to a technical malfunction.

However, no independent confirmation of such assertions has emerged.

An IAF spokesperson rejected the reports, stating that claims of an aircraft crash near Kishtwar were “false” and not based on any factual information.

Officials have yet to provide a definitive explanation for the explosion or the source of the smoke, leaving the incident shrouded in uncertainty.