The Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet, which went missing after taking off from Assam’s Jorhat on Thursday evening, crashed in Karbi Anglong district, the Indian Air Force said, adding that search operations are underway. The plane was on a training mission and crashed about 60 kilometers from Jorhat. The fate of the pilots remains unknown.
Officials had earlier said that the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet lost radar contact on Thursday evening shortly after taking off from the air base in Jorhat, Assam, prompting a search and rescue operation to track down the plane and its pilots.
According to defense officials, the plane’s last contact with ground control was around 7.42 pm before it disappeared from radar. An Israeli Air Force official, who requested to remain anonymous, said, “There were two pilots on board the plane and there has been no contact with them yet. Search operations have begun to locate the plane and the pilots.”
Meanwhile, a loud explosion-like sound was reportedly heard from a remote hill area near Nileep Building in Karbi Anglong area around 7pm. Some unconfirmed photos of the alleged incident were also circulated on social media.
The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of over 260 Su-30MKI aircraft. A Sukhoi fighter jet crashed in Nashik district of Maharashtra in June 2024. Another Sukhoi 30 crashed in January 2023, after taking off from the Gwalior air base.
