It would apparently be possible to fire missiles unintentionally. The Indian army accidentally sent a missile to Pakistan, the Indian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday, calling the act a “deeply regrettable”.
“As part of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile” Wednesday and this one landed in “an area of Pakistan”, the ministry said in a statement, adding that a high-level investigation had been launched. The Ministry of Defense does not indicate what type of missile it was.
A supersonic flying object of Indian origin
India, a predominantly Hindu country, and Pakistan, a Muslim country, have fought three wars since the end of British colonization in 1947, two of which over the disputed territory of Kashmir. The two countries maintain a strong military presence on both sides of their common border and flare-ups of tension have gone so far as to give rise to fears of nuclear confrontation.
The statement from the Indian Ministry of Defense comes hours after the Pakistani Foreign Ministry condemned what it called as “an unwarranted violation” Pakistani airspace “by a supersonic flying object of Indian origin”.
The Pakistani ministry adds that it summoned the charge d’affaires of India in Islamabad who was served “a firm protest”. This “reckless shooting” damaged buildings on the ground and endangered civilian lives as well as planes in Pakistani airspace, the ministry added. No casualties were reported.