India admits accidentally firing missile into Pakistan

Vishal Thapar Mar 11, 2022

India on March 9 accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan, the Ministry of Defence acknowledged in a statement on March 11 while expressing deep regrets over it. A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

This follows a statement and a protest by Pakistan on March 10 about "unprovoked" violation of its airspace by an unarmed supersonic "projectile" which landed at Mian Channu in Khanewal district, 124 km inside Pakistani Punjab. No loss of life or injury has been reported by Pakistan as a consequence of this incident.

“On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” a statement released by India’s Ministry of Defence admitted.

“It is learnt 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 of Defence stated.

“The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Inquiry,” it stated.

Although the Indian statement did not specify the type of missile, Pakistani accounts suggest it may have been a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

On the night of March 10, Pakistan summoned India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest.

Pakistani authorities said a "super-sonic flying object" entered Pakistan from the direction of Suratgarh in India at 6:43 pm (PST) on March 9 and fell to the ground near Mian Channu city about 6:50 pm, causing damage to civilian property.

Major General Babar Iftikhar, the Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan, said at a media briefing on March 10 that the missile was unarmed. It was picked up by Pakistani radars upon its launch from Sirsa and tracked through the entire trajectory of its flight till the point of impact inside Pakistan, he said.

"At 6.43 pm, a high-speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by the Air Defence Operation Centre of the Pakistan Air Force. From its initial course, the object suddenly manoeuvred towards the Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan's airspace, ultimately falling near Mian Channu at 6.50 pm," he told media.

"It was a supersonic flying object, most probably a missile, but it was certainly unarmed," Major General Iftikhar said.

The Pakistan Foreign Office complained to the Indian Charge d'Affaires that such "irresponsible incidents" reflected India's "disregard" for air safety.

"The Indian diplomat was conveyed that the imprudent launch of the flying object not only caused damage to civilian property but also put at risk human lives on the ground," the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

"Besides, the flight path of the flying object endangered several domestic/international flights within Pakistani airspace and could have resulted in a serious aviation accident as well as civilian casualties," it stated.

The Pakistan Foreign Office also called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident and demanded that its outcome be shared with Islamabad.