Mi-17 chopper crash in friendly fire: 6 IAF officers to face action, say reports

New Delhi, Oct 14: Six Indian Air Force (IAF) officers will reportedly face action over the crash of a helicopter in the friendly fire over Srinagar on February 27.

News agency ANI reports, two officers to face court-martial while four others to face administrative action in the case.

The incident took place when Indian air defences were on high alert following the February 26 Balakot airstrike. The very next day, February 27, Pakistani jets launched a counter-attack in response to the Balakot air strikes. Indian and Pakistani fighter jets engaged in an aerial dogfight over Jammu and Kashmir.

Around same time, the Mi-17 V-5 chopper of the 154 Helicopter Unit took off. The helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile of IAF which mistook the aircraft to be hostile.

Air chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on Friday described as a "big mistake" the IAF shooting down its helicopter in Kashmir on 27 February, when Indian and Pakistani forces engaged in a dogfight and said punitive action is being taken against the guilty. A Court of inquiry has submitted its report and the IAF is taking punitive action against the guilty, he said. Disciplinary action is being taken against two officers in the shooting down of the chopper, the IAF chief said.