An Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft lost radar contact on Thursday evening shortly after taking off from the airbase in Assam's Jorhat, prompting a search and rescue operation to trace the aircraft and its two pilots, officials said.
The aircraft was last in contact with ground control at around 7.42 pm before it went off radar. Search operations have been launched to locate both the aircraft and the pilots.
A loud explosion-like sound was reportedly heard from a remote hill area near Nilip block in Karbi Anglong district around 7 pm, but authorities have not confirmed whether the reported sound and the missing fighter jet are linked.
Security forces and search teams have begun operations in the hilly terrain to verify the reports and locate the aircraft, which is one of the Indian Air Force's frontline multirole fighter aircraft and forms a key component of India's air defence capabilities.
