Guwahati, March 16: An Army Cheetah helicopter crashed near Mandala, West of Bomdila during an operational sortie on Thursday, in which 2 people died.

“An Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh lost contact with the ATC at around 09:15 AM on 16 March 23,” Defence PRO Colonel Mahendra Rawat stated.

Meanwhile, five search parties of the Indian Army, SSB and ITBP were immediately launched.

The wreckage of the aircraft was found near the village of Banglajaap East of Mandala.

“With regret we inform that the pilot and the co-pilot of the helicopter lost their lives in the accident. A Court of Inquiry is being ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” Rawat stated.

In October 2022, five Army personnel died in a helicopter crash of the Indian Army near Migging village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district, about 25 km from Tuting town.