The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday (March 5, 2025) lost two of its officers who were the crew on board an ill-fated Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft that crashed soon after take off in Assam.
The IAF said in a tweet on Friday (March 6, 2026) that Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash in Assam.
“All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the IAF said from its handle on the social media platform X.
The Su-30MKI fighter jet had lost radar contact during a training sortie over Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Thursday (March 5), soon after take off from Jorhat air base.
“An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat, Assam, and was last in contact at 7.42 pm. Further details are being ascertained. A search and Rescue mission has been initiated,” the IAF tweeted on Thursday (March 5).
Four hours later, the IAF handle again posted that “the Su-30MKI, which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approx 60 km from Jorhat. Search operations are underway.”
Defence officials in Assam said the aircraft was last flying over a hilly, heavily forested terrain when communication with the ground control was suddenly lost.
The IAF mobilised personnel from the local administration and other security agencies to launch a search and rescue operation, and to verify the exact circumstances under which the aircraft lost contact.
Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a frontline combat aircraft in the IAF inventory, having multi-role, air superiority roles. The aircraft forms an important part of the IAF’s offensive and airspace defence capabilities.
India currently operates around 260 Su-30MKIs in 14 fighter squadrons after it had lost a few of the jets from the 272-aircraft fleet.