Two Indian air force jets crash, one pilot killed

Accident happened near the town of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh state, said a statement

Two Indian air force fighter jets crashed on Saturday after becoming involved in an accident and one pilot was killed, the air force said.

"The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission. One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident," the air force said in a statement.

The accident happened near the town of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh state, it said.

Officials said earlier one of the aircraft came down in Madhya Pradesh and the other in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan.

The air force did not specify what type of aircraft were involved but media reported they were a Sukhoi-30 and a Mirage 2000.

Last year, five Indian army soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed near the country's disputed border with China, the defence ministry said.

The Advance Light Helicopter came down south of Tuting, a remote town near the Line of Actual Control which divides India's northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state from Chinese territory.

Air traffic controllers had received a mayday call before the crash that suggested technical or mechanical failure, the ministry said in a statement.

Four bodies had been recovered and rescuers were working to retrieve the fifth and final occupant of the helicopter, the statement said.

"The Indian Army offers deepest condolences (and) stands firmly with the bereaved families," it added.