Web Desk (LTN NEWS): The Indian Air Force announced Tuesday it has fired three officers for accidentally shooting a missile into Pakistan earlier this year – on March 9.
The missile landing did not result in casualties, and both the nuclear-armed states handled the situation calmly – with no further escalation.
“BrahMos” is a nuclear-capable and land-attack cruise missile which had been launched into Pakistan on March 9. It was jointly developed by India and Russia.
The event prompted Islamabad to seek answers from New Delhi on safety systems in place to avoid inadvertent missile 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.
The Indian Air Force said the government had discharged the three officers with immediate effect today.
Pakistan had summoned Indian Charge d’Afaires (Cd’A) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs days after the incident to record the nation’s protest over the incident.
“The Government of India is urged to be cognizant of the unpleasant implications of such neglect and take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations in future,” a statement by the FO stated.
