Two IAF pilots killed in Su-30 MKI aircraft crash in Assam's Karbi Anglong

Two pilots were killed in the crash of the Su-30 MKI fighter jet in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, the IAF said on Friday. The Su-30MKI, which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, approximately 60 km from Jorhat on Thursday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a brief statement. ''IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences, and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief, the IAF said in a post on X. Su-30MKI is a two-seater multirole long-range fighter jet developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi.It is now built under licence by HAL for the IAF. The IAF operates a fleet of over 260 Su-30MKI jets. A Sukhoi fighter plane had crashed in Nashik district of Maharashtra in June 2024. Another Sukhoi-30 jet had crashed in January 2023, after taking off from the Gwalior airbase.