Indian missile 'mistakenly' falls in Pakistan, Defence ministry orders probe

New Delhi, March 11

The Ministry of Defence on Friday evening said the government had taken a “serious view” of the “missile firing” and ordered a high-level court of inquiry (CoI). In a sensational claim last night, Pakistan had alleged that an Indian supersonic missile landed some 124 km inside its territory in Punjab province.

Regrettable: India

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 MoD said in a statement: “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.”

Explaining the cause of missile firing, it said “during the course of routine maintenance on March 9, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile”.

In Islamabad, the Charge d’Affaires (Cd’A) of India was summoned by the Pakistan Foreign Office, which conveyed its “protest over the unprovoked violation of its airspace by an Indian-origin ‘supersonic flying object’.” A demarche was served and it was also conveyed to the Indian diplomat that the launch put at risk human lives on ground, the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

At a press conference in Rawalpindi on Thursday night, the Director General of Inter Services Public Relations, Major General Babar Iftikhar, said, “It is for India to explain what has happened.”

The missile was fired from near Sirsa in southerly direction towards the Mahajan Field Firing Range. It, however, veered westwards and landed at Mian Channu, some 124 km inside Pakistan’s Punjab province, the Pakistan Army officer had claimed. At the same press conference, Air Vice Marshal Tariq Zia said the missile was noticed at an altitude of 40,000 feet and was travelling at 2.5 Mach (3,000 km per hour).

Lands in Pak’s Punjab

• Pakistan alleges supersonic missile fired from near Sirsa
• Was directed southerly towards Mahajan Field Firing Range in Bikaner, it claims
• It, however, veered westwards and landed at Mian Channu, 124 km inside Pak’s Punjab