India, Nov. 7 -- The Indian Air Force has landed an IL-76MD heavy-lift transport at the Mudh-Nyoma airbase in eastern Ladakh, a touchdown the service described as the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world.

"An Indian Air Force IL-76MD has scripted history with a successful landing at Nyoma, marking the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world," the IAF said in a post on social media. It called the flight "a remarkable demonstration of the aircraft's enduring capability, backed by the exceptional skill, precision, and professionalism of its crew," and a "milestone that reinforces India's strategic airlift capability."

Nyoma sits at about 13,700 feet above mean sea...