Barmer: Air Force’s MiG-21crashed on Thursday evening during a training sortie in Barmer in Rajasthan, two pilots was killed in this incident. IAF in a statement said that a twin seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening.

Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families. A Court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari following the crash. The MiG-21 is a Soviet-era single-engine multirole fighter/ground attack aircraft that once formed the backbone of the IAF fleet.