2 yıl önce

India sacks officers for accidental firing of missile into Pakistan

A court of inquiry has found that deviation from standard operating procedures by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile, the Indian Air Force says.

The Indian Air Force says the government has sacked three officers for accidentally firing a missile into Pakistan in March, an incident that the two nuclear-armed rivals handled calmly as there were no casualties.

Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the neighbours, which have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes, usually over the territory of Kashmir.

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 on the safety mechanisms in place to prevent accidental 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.

It said the government had dismissed the three officers with immediate effect on Tuesday.

India had initially said a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance led to the accidental firing of the missile,

According to the US-based Arms Control Association, the BrahMos missile's range is between 300 kilometres and 500 kilometres, making it capable of hitting Pakistan's capital Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies