IAF Sukhoi jet goes missing near Indo-China border (Second Lead)

Guwahati May 23 (IANS) An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30 fighter jet with two pilots on board went missing from near the Indo-China border in Assam on Tuesday morning.

The Sukhoi took off from the IAF Tezpur air base located only about 400 km from Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh on a routine training mission.

A Sukhoi-30 aircraft airborne from Tezpur today on a routine training mission lost radar and radio contact approximately 60 km from north of Tezpur town in Assam said Tezpur-based Defence PRO Lt. Col. Sombit Ghosh.

The aircraft is over due and actions have been initiated he said.

Official sources said the aircraft took off at 9.30 a.m. from Tezpur air base but lost radar and radio contact nearly two hours later near in Arunachal Pradesh s Doulasang area a border area adjoining China 60 km north of Tezpur.

Tezpur Air force station is located 172 km from the China border.

Tezpur is one of the three air bases of the IAF in the country that hosts the Sukhoi.

Last year one Sukhoi 30 MKI crashed near Nagaon town of Assam while on a routine sortie. While the two pilots ejected before crash the crash led to splinter injuries to some locals in the area.

--IANS
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