NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) blamed officials from its missile squadron for a missile it accidentally fired into Pakistan last month because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.
The incident occurred on March 9 when a BrahMos missile was fired accidentally and landed in the Pakistan territory. The inquiry was done by a senior IAF official.
“More than one official has been found blameworthy for the incident which was totally avoidable. The guilty officials would be given a swift and severe punishment,” the Asian News International quoted government sources as saying.
The court of inquiry also found a clear violation of standard operating procedures by the officials concerned, they said.
The IAF has taken the incident very seriously and is taking every step internally to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future and various standard operating procedures are being reviewed to see if there is any change required to make things smoother, said the sources.
Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the nuclear-armed neighbours, which have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes, usually over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Tensions have eased in recent months, and the incident, which may have been the first of its kind, immediately raised questions about safety mechanisms.
