NEW DELHI, India: New Delhi has termed the ‘accidental firing’ of an unarmed Indian supersonic missile, which fell near Mian Channu area of Pakistan on March 9, deeply regrettable and has ordered a high-level Court of Inquiry in the incident.
“On March 9, 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction to the accidental firing of a missile. The government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry,” said a statement issued on Friday by the Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing), Government of India.
The statement further said “It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the accident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”
Last evening, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar revealed in a Press Briefing that an unarmed high-speed flying object was fired from India’s Sirsa area into Pakistan that landed at Mian Channu area in Punjab on March 9, 2022.
The director general ISPR said that the flying object was picked up inside the Indian Territory by the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) Air Defence Operation Centre.
Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the object suddenly maneuvered toward Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan’s airspace. He said the object fell inside Pakistani territory and damaged some civilian property but thankfully no loss or injury to human lives was caused.
The DG ISPR asked the Indian authorities to explain as the incident could have resulted in major aviation disaster and Pakistan strongly condemned its airspace violation.