An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was killed on Friday after a MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed near Moga in Punjab.

The IAF aircraft was on a routine training sortie when the accident happened. The incident took place around 1 am on Friday when the aircraft crashed at Langiana Khurd village of Baghapurana in Moga, India Today reported.

"The pilot, Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary, sustained fatal injuries. IAF condoles the tragic loss and stands firmly with the bereaved family," IAF tweeted. The air force further said that a court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the crash.

On March 17, an Indian pilot was killed after a MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in central India. Another MiG-21 fighter jet crashed near Suratgarh in Rajasthan during a training sortie in January. The crash occurred due to a technical malfunction and the pilot managed to eject safely.