The search for the Indian Air Force's missing Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet has not yielded any success, as it was hit by rough weather on Wednesday.
IAF sources had said that the operation was continuing despite bad weather conditions in parts of Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, where the plane is suspected to have crashed.
A massive search operation, involving recce by helicopters, had been launched to trace the plane and the pilots, aged between 25 and 30, said defence spokesman Lt Col Sombit Ghosh of the Army's 4 Corps. Until now, no breakthrough has been made in locating the aircraft and the pilots.
C-130 aircraft, with electro-optical payload, ALH & Chetak helicopters were tasked for the search mission.
Meanwhile, China on Wednesday reiterated that it doesn’t have any information on the jet.
For the situation you mentioned, I have no relevant information to offer at the moment. We have been following the situation in South Tibet (Arunachal Pradesh) very closely.Lu Kang, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman
Kang also made a reference to the border dispute between the two countries, saying:
First of all, on the eastern section of the India-China border, China’s position is consistent and clear. We hope India can stick to the arrangements reached between the two sides and avoid disrupting peace and stability at the border areas.
Sonitpur district Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Deka told reporters that the air force station had informed him that the last contact with the plane was made at around 11:10 am, when it it was flying over Dubia in Gohpur sub-division of Biswanath district, adjacent to Sonitpur.
The Sukhoi jet, with two pilots on board, went missing after taking off from the Tezpur Salonibari air force station at 10:30 am. The aircraft was on a routine training sortie.
The country's frontline SU-30 MKI aircraft was inducted in the Tezpur air base on 15 June 2009.
At present, two squadrons, comprising around 36 aircraft, are deployed at Tezpur for guarding the Sino-India border in Arunachal Pradesh.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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