Hyderabad, Sep 3 - Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters Thursday resumed search operations for the helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, nearly 24 hours after it went missing in the dense Nallamalla forests.

At the day break, at least five IAF helicopters resumed search operations while the army and police intensified the biggest-ever search operation, which has now narrowed down to five kilometres radius in Kurnool district where the chopper was last seen by some villagers.

The fate of the chief minister, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots remained uncertain even a day after the chopper went missing while flying from Hyderabad to Chittoor district.

The chopper carrying YSR, as the 60-year-old chief minister is known, his special secretary Subrahmanyam, his chief security officer A.