A HUMAN error appears to be the likely reason for the accidental firing ofa missile into Pakistan two weeks ago, people familiar with theinvestigation have said.
The Court of Inquiry probing the incident is learnt to have been examiningthe role of a group captain and a few other officials for their allegedlapses, they said on Wednesday (23).
There is no official comment on the matter yet.
The incident had taken place on March 9, following which Pakistan hadlodged a strong protest with India the next day.
On March 11, the Indian defence ministry said the missile was firedaccidentally and it landed in Pakistan.
It described the incident as “deeply regrettable” and that it was caused bya technical malfunction in the course of the routine maintenance of themissile.
It said the government has taken a serious view of the incident and ordereda high-level probe into it.
Separately, defence minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on March 15that the standard operating procedures for operations, maintenance, andinspection of such systems were being reviewed.
Read Top Stories
Following the incident, Pakistan summoned India’s charge d’affaires inIslamabad and conveyed its strong protest over the “unprovoked” violationof its airspace by the supersonic “projectile”.
The Pakistan foreign office had said the “supersonic flying object” enteredinto Pakistan from India’s Suratgarh and fell to the ground near MianChannu city, causing damage to civilian property.
The Pakistan foreign office also called for a thorough and transparentinvestigation into the incident and demanded that its outcome be sharedwith Islamabad.
Source:link
(PTI)