NEW DELHI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- A fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in western state of Gujarat Tuesday, killing the pilot, defense sources said.

"The Jaguar aircraft crashed on a field near a village in Mundra of Gujarat's Kutch region while on a routine sortie, minutes after taking off from Jamnagar air base," sources said.

The pilot, identified as Sanjay Chauhan, died in the crash. "His body has been recovered," sources said.

Local TV channels showed footage of debris scattered over a wide area. Media reported that a cattle grazing on the field also died in the mishap.

"A court of inquiry has been ordered," sources said.

There have been a number of crashes involving Indian Air Force assets this year.

In April, an M17 helicopter crashed in the hilly state of Uttarakhand, but all six people on board survived. In March, a plane crashed in eastern state of Odisha, injuring the pilot.

In February this year, an air force helicopter crashed in northeastern state of Assam's Majuli island, killing two pilots.