A serious accident during an Indian Army exercise has left two special forces soldiers missing, according to officials, after a group of commandos jumped from a helicopter into a river as part of a training drill.

Five special forces personnel took part in the helicopter drop into the river, of whom two failed to resurface and are now unaccounted for, officials said.

A large-scale search-and-rescue operation, involving helicopters, boats and diving teams, has been launched to locate the missing soldiers. The river's current and water conditions are believed to be complicating the rescue effort.

The Indian Army said it was investigating the circumstances of the incident, which has raised questions about safety protocols during specialist airborne-waterborne training exercises.

Military exercises involving helicopter insertion into water are considered high-risk, requiring precise coordination between aircrew and divers. Formal reports on the cause of the accident are expected to follow once the search-and-rescue phase concludes.