A Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force has gone missing from radar contact in Assam, officials said on Wednesday. Search efforts are currently underway to locate the aircraft.
The fighter jet had taken off from Jorhat in Assam and was last in contact at 7.42 pm, the Indian Air Force said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Officials have not yet confirmed the circumstances surrounding the loss of radar contact.
Meanwhile, reports from Karbi Anglong district said that a loud explosion-like sound was heard around 7 pm from a remote hill area near Nilip block. Some unverified pictures of an alleged crash site have also been circulating on social media.
Authorities, however, have not confirmed whether the reported sound is linked to the missing aircraft.
The Sukhoi-30 MKI is one of the Indian Air Force’s frontline multirole fighter aircraft and forms a key component of India’s air defence capabilities.
The Russian-built Su-30 aircraft were first delivered to India in 1997. At present, the aircraft are produced in the country by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under licence. More than 250 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets are currently in service with the Indian Air Force.
(With inputs from agencies)
