NEW DELHI - Indian armed forces lost 597 personnel in the last 5 years while 1,349 officers quit the army during the same period, the upper house of Indian Parliament, was informed.

From 2009 to 2013, 597 armed forces personnel committed suicide – 498 from the Army, 83 from the Air Force and 16 from the Navy, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley documented.

Suicide toll has been highest in 2010. The army, which is the largest of the three services, also saw 1,349 out of 2,215 officers quitting the force after being granted premature retirement in the last five years while the rest were refused grants.

Jaitley further added that the Air Force lost 19 fighter aircraft in the last 3 years, including 12 MiG series fighter planes in which five service personnel were killed.