India Says It Accidentally Fired Missile Into Pakistan

Supporters of the Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) shout anti-India slogans at a protest in Karachi on February 10.

India says it accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan and has ordered a high-level probe to investigate the matter.

“On March 9, 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement on March 11, calling the incident "deeply regrettable.”

“The government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level court of enquiry,” it said.

Earlier on March 11, Pakistan's foreign office said it had summoned India's charge d'affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest over what it called an unprovoked violation of its airspace.

Pakistan has called for an investigation into the incident, which it said could have endangered passenger flights and civilian lives.

Pakistani military spokesman Major-General Babar Iftikhar said in a news conference on March 10 that a "high-speed flying object" crashed near its eastern city of Mian Channu and that originated from the northern Indian city of Sirsa, near New Delhi.

Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the neighbors, which have fought three wars and have engaged in numerous military clashes.

Both countries have nuclear weapons.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP and dpa