One of the Indian Air Force personnel, Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Durgakar, who was killed in a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet crash in Assam, was part of Operation Sindoor against Pakistani terrorists.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Purvesh's father, Ravindra Durgakar, said that initially his family didn't know that he was part of Operation Sindoor.
"15 days after Operation Sindoor was paused, we learned that he was part of the operation. He did not have his mobile phone with him during that time. We were not in touch with him during that time," he said.
He said that he spoke to Purvesh a day before the tragic incident. "My son was extremely proud to be part of the Indian Air Force. He would sometimes share his experience of flying fighter planes and the speeds that IAF jets achieve. He held his colleagues in high regard," Duragkar said.
IAF's Sukhoi lost connection in Assam's Karbi Anglong on Thursday and was eventually found to have crashed, killing Purvar and Squadron Leader Anuj.
Reacting to the tragic incident, the Indian Air Force said, "IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief."
India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, that claimed the lives of 26 people, including a Nepali national.
The attack, which took place on April 22, was carried out by an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), named The Resistance Front (TRF).
As part of the operation, Indian forces struck key terror installations deep inside Pakistan, killing over 100 terrorists.