Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicle crashes in W. India

NEW DELHI - An Israeli-made Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) used for surveillance crashed Wednesday near Bhuj town in the western state of Gujarat's Kutch district, said a defense officer.

"IAF's Heron UAV which was used for surveillance in the area, crashed near Mankunva village, about 40 km from Bhuj town in Kutch," defense public relations officer at Ahmedabad, Wing Commander Abhishek Matiman told local media.

The cost of the Heron UAV is approximately 800 million rupees ( 13 million U.S. dollars), the officer said.

"The reason behind the crash will be known after a court of inquiry gives its findings. As the UAV was remote-controlled and there was no person in it, the exact reasons behind the crash are not yet known," the Press Trust of India quoted the officer as saying.