Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots – Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Durajkar – were killed after a Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district during a training mission.
The Israeli Air Force confirmed their deaths, and said that the two officers were mortally wounded in the incident.
“The Indian Air Force acknowledges the loss of Squadron Ldr Anuj and Lieutenant Commander Purvesh Durajkar, who were fatally injured in the Su-30 crash. The entire IAF personnel express their deepest condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family at this time of grief,” the IAF said in a statement.
The Sukhoi-30MKI plane took off from Jorhat Air Base on Thursday evening before losing contact with ground control. Defense officials had previously said that contact with the Russian-origin fighter jet was lost at around 7.42pm.
The plane then crashed in Karbi Anglong area, about 60 kilometers from Jorhat. Previous reports said that the plane disappeared shortly after take-off, prompting search and rescue operations to locate the plane and its pilots.
Locals reportedly heard a loud explosion-like sound near a remote hill area close to Nileep Building in Karbi Anglong around 7pm. Some unverified photos of the alleged crash site were also circulated on social media.
The Su-30MKI is a long-range, multi-purpose, two-seat fighter aircraft developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and manufactured under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force.
The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of more than 260 Su-30MKI aircraft. Previous incidents of the aircraft include a crash in Maharashtra’s Nashik district in June 2024 and another in January 2023 after it took off from the Gwalior air base.
