India sacks military officers for ‘accidentally’ firing missile into Pakistan

Indian government has sacked three air force officers for the "accidental firing of a missile" into neighboring Pakistan in March.

The episode had escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors who have fought at least four major wars since the partition of the British India in August 1947.

On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force said in a statement the officers responsible for the March 9 incident had been terminated from service.

“A Court of Inquiry, set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile,” the statement read. 

The BrahMos missile, a nuclear-capable cruise missile, was launched into Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab. Its range is between 300 and 500 kilometers, making it capable of hitting Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.

Pakistani authorities said the missile had "endangered many passenger and international flights in Indian and Pakistani airspace" as well as "human life and property on the ground."

The incident prompted Pakistan to seek answers from New Delhi. Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned India’s charge d’affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest against what it called an unprovoked violation of its airspace. And it warned India “to be mindful of the unpleasant consequences of such negligence and take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations in future.”

Two days after the launch, India’s Defense Ministry said the missile was fired by accident because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.

The incident also raised questions about safety mechanisms in place to prevent accidental launches or miscalculations.

SS