The Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Tuesday that the services of three air men had been terminated in connection with the accidental firing of a missile that landed in Pakistani territory.
Those terminated include a group captain and two wing commanders, according to India Today. The missile, accidentally launched on March 9, 2022 had landed in Mian Channu in Pakistan.
A court of inquiry, established to probe the incident, pinned responsibility for the faux pas on the three air men deviating from standard operating procedures. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had ordered an inquiry thereafter.
“On 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” the Indian defense ministry had announced in a statement. “It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan.”
“The government has taken serious view and ordered a high-level court of enquiry,” the statement said, adding that the incident was ‘deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident”.
