India’s Defence Ministry has confirmed it accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan on 9 March after a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance. The missile landed in the city of Mian Channu, however no casualties were reported.
Both nations, which have nuclear weapons, have historical tensions over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
A Pakistan air force official said the missile flew 124 kilometres in its airspace and reached a height of 40,000 feet. The Indian Government said it has “taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry” to look into the matter.
Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf criticised the Indian Government for not immediately alerting Pakistani officials of the launch.
Pakistan’s foreign office has since demanded a joint probe into the launch, stating “the grave nature of the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment.”
