Two pilots of the Indian Air Force were killed after a Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Thursday night.
The IAF identified the pilots as Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar.
“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 force said in a post on X.
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.@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD… pic.twitter.com/zUtfUJ2ewr
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 6, 2026
According to officials, the Su-30MKI was on a training sortie when it went missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase, around 60 km from the crash site. Contact with the Russian-origin fighter aircraft was lost at 7:42 pm.
The Su-30MKI is a twin-seat, multirole, long-range combat aircraft developed by Russian manufacturer Sukhoi. It is produced in India under licence by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the IAF.
The IAF operates a fleet of more than 260 Su-30MKI aircraft. In June 2024, a Sukhoi fighter jet had crashed in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. Another Su-30 aircraft had crashed in January 2023 after taking off from the Gwalior airbase.
