India sacks
3 officers for launching missile into Pakistan in March

Source: News Agencies

People work around the remains of a missile fired into Pakistan from India. Photo: Reuters

The Indian
government fired three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers for violating standard
operating procedures (SOPs) that led to the missile fire into Pakistan in
March.

The BrahMos
missile — a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by
Russia and India — was fired on March 9, prompting Pakistan to seek answers
from New Delhi about the incident.

According to
the US-based Arms Control Association, the BrahMos missile's range is between
300 km (186 miles) and 500 km (310 miles), making it capable of hitting
Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.

After the
incident was reported, the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) summoned the Indian
ambassador and registered a protest over the unprovoked violation of its
airspace, saying such "irresponsible incidents" reflected the
neighbouring country's "disregard for air safety and callousness towards
regional peace and stability".

The foreign
office also demanded a full and transparent investigation into the incident,
the findings of which should be shared with Pakistan.

India's
Defense Ministry later shared that the incident was "deeply
regrettable" and attributed the "accidental firing" to a
"technical fault". After India's admission, Islamabad questioned
seeking clarification, why New Delhi did not immediately provide information
about the incident and acknowledged the incident only after Pakistan's
announcement.

"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 India's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

This map shows the trajectory of an Indian missile that entered Pakistan and fell in Khanewal district's Mian Channu area. Photo: ISPR

“These three
officers have primarily been held responsible for the incident. Their services
have been terminated by the central government with immediate effect.
Termination orders have been served upon the officers on 23 August, 2022,” the
statement added.

Military experts have
warned in the past of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the
neighbors, who have fought three wars and are involved in numerous minor armed
clashes.