New Delhi: The Indian Air Force revealed on Thursday that three officers had been fired by the government as a result of an unintentional missile launch into Pakistan in March, which the two nuclear-armed rivals handled calmly as no one was hurt.
Military experts have previously expressed concern about the possibility of accidents or errors on the part of the neighbours, who have fought three wars and countless smaller armed conflicts, frequently over the disputed region of Kashmir.
Read: Nuclear India’s culpable, rogue missile strike | By Syed Qamar Afzal Rizvi
On March 9, the BrahMos missile—a land-attack cruise missile with nuclear weapons capability—was launched, leading Pakistan to question New Delhi about the safety precautions taken to prevent unintentional launches.
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 air force said in a statement.
It stated that on Tuesday, the three officials had been fired by the administration with immediate effect.
The range of the BrahMos missile, which can be launched from northern India, is between 300 km (186 miles) and 500 km (310 miles), making it capable of striking Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. – Agencies
