Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday paid tribute to 13 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel at Palam Airport in the national capital. The 13 IAF Personnel who were killed in AN-32 crash in Arunachal Pradesh.
‘Paid tributes to brave Air-warriors @IAF_MCC, who lost their lives in the unfortunate An-32 crash on 03 June, 19 in Arunachal Pradesh. They served the nation with confidence and courage. I salute their sacrifice in the line of duty’, tweeted Rajnath Singh.
He also met with the families and friends of the deceased Air-warriors of An32 and shared his grief and heartfelt condolences with them. ‘My thoughts and prayers are with them. May God give them the strength to bear this monumental loss’, Singh said in another tweet.
Paid tributes to brave Air-warriors @IAF_MCC, who lost their lives in the unfortunate An-32 crash on 03 June, 19 in Arunachal Pradesh.
They served the nation with confidence and courage. I salute their sacrifice in the line of duty. pic.twitter.com/V8bH2aWh4L
— Rajnath Singh (मोदी का परिवार) (@rajnathsingh) June 21, 2019
Air Marshal RD Mathur, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command also paid tributes to the Air-warriors, who lost their lives in the An-32 crash on June 3 in Arunachal Pradesh, at a wreath-laying ceremony in Jorhat, today.
Air Marshal RD Mathur, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command paid tributes to the Air-warriors, who lost their lives in the An-32 crash on 03 Jun 19 in Arunachal Pradesh, at a wreath-laying ceremony in Jorhat, today. pic.twitter.com/3tgi64gFz3
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 20, 2019
The body remains of all the 13 IAF personnel were retrieved on Thursday from the crash site in Arunachal Pradesh.
While Parts of the mission Indian Air Force AN-32 Aircraft which went missing on June 3 were spotted in the north of Lipo in Arunachal Pradesh on June 11, almost 8 days after the intense search operations.
The IAF AN-32 went missing since June 3 soon after taking off from IAF Air Base in Assam’s Jorhat.
The Wreckage of the IAF Aircraft was reportedly found 15-20 Km away from the flight path that it took on June 3.
In an official statement, India Air Force said, ‘The wreckage of the missing AN-32 was spotted today 16 Kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato, at an approximate elevation of 12000 ft, by the IAF Mi-17 Helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone’.
READ: Wreckage of Missing Indian Air Force (IAF)’s AN-32 Aircraft found in Arunachal Pradesh
A total of 13 personnel were on board including Pilot Ashish Tanwar who was flying the IAF AN-32 Aircraft.
Intense Search Operation was carried out by the Indian Air Force ever since the Air Craft went missing. Search Operation was carried by Security Forces, with teams from the Indian Army to Indian Air Force. It had engaged a SU-30 Jet Fighter, C130 J, Mi17, ALH Helicopter and NTRP Spy Satellites in the intense Search Operations. The search Operation was affected because of the difficult terrain and bad weather.
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