The Indian Air Force has dismissed three military personnel, including the unit commander, after malpractice led to the “accidental” firing of a supersonic cruise missile over Pakistan in early March.
Pakistani authorities then lodged a protest note and an investigation in India has determined that the launch did occur, but that it was due to a technical failure during maintenance work.
The three dismissed military personnel have been held “responsible” for the accident, and are therefore out of the Armed Forces “with immediate effect”, according to a statement reported by the newspaper ‘Times of India’.
Pakistan and India have a long history of clashes, especially arising from their dispute over the Kashmir region, for which they have fought two of the three wars fought since independence from the United Kingdom.