Event in Assam, Karbi Anglong area, India on Fri 6th March 2026

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots were killed after a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam's Karbi Anglong district last night.

The Air Force said the pilots were identified as Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar.

"All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences, and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief," the Air Force posted on X.

The Su-30 MKI was on a training mission and had gone missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase, about 60 km from where it crashed.

Communication with the Russian-origin aircraft was lost at 7:42 pm, officials had said.It reportedly crashed in a remote hilly area. Local residents said they heard a loud explosion from a hill.

They said they also noticed a ball of fire.Rajnath Singh On Sukhoi Su-30 CrashDefence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of the two pilots in the "tragic" crash."

Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude," he posted on X.

The nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief, Singh added.

Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Fighter JetsThe Su-30 MKI is a two-seater, long-range fighter jet developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi.

It is now built under licence by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF.

The aircraft was first inducted into the IAF in 1997.The IAF operates a fleet of over 260 Su-30 MKI jets.

A Sukhoi fighter plane had crashed in Maharashtra's Nashik in June 2024. A Sukhoi-30 jet had crashed in January 2023 after taking off from the Gwalior airbase in Madhya Pradesh.