Arunachal CM missing: IAF have found two suspected spots for missing chopper, says P V Naik

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force today said its Su-30 MKIs have found two suspected spots for the chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others missing since Saturday.

"They (Su-30 MKI) did one trip over the Sela pass. We have found through the Synthetic Aperture Radar (on the Su-30MKIs) that there were two hot spots of metal but it is not very conclusive," IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik said here.

Naik was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual P C Lall memorial lecture here.

Backed up by satellite pictures and infrared images taken by Su-30s, the search for the chopper has narrowed down to a 66 sq km forested area.

The IAF chief said the Tawang-based Mi-17IVs had flew over one of the suspected areas but could not find anything there.

"Our choppers are in Tawang and they did one trip over a suspected area but did not find anything," he added.

Naik said bad weather in the region was hindering search operations in which two Su-30MKIs along with six service choppers were taking part.

"The Su-30s could also do one trip only but so far due to weather we have not been able to pin point anything," he said.