India accidentally fires a missile into Pakistan on Friday. India acknowledged the missile launch and said that it was a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance. The government of India released a statement after Pakistan summoned envoys to protest.
It is a known risk among nuclear-armed neighbors that accidents or miscalculations could occur. The neighbors have been involved in three wars. Mostly it is centered on the much-disputed Kashmir territory. This is the first of its kind in years, raising a question of safety mechanisms.
Indian Ministry of Defense released an official statement after the accidental launch. “On 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile.”
“It is learned that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”
The ministry said the government had “taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry.”
Pakistan reported that the missile was unarmed and has crashed on the country’s eastern city of Mian Channu. It is located about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the capital, Islamabad.
Pakistan also issued a warning to India. “Be mindful of the unpleasant consequences of such negligence and take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations in future.”
Ayesha Siddiqa tweeted “India-Pak should be talking about risk mitigation”.
“Both states have remained confident about control of nuclear weapons but what if such accidents happen again & with more serious consequences?”
Although no official identification was given, Pakistani officials suspected it was a BrahMos missile. This is a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India.