The Indian government has fired three air force officials for “accidentally shooting a missile” into Pakistan in March.
The event heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed states.
The “very regretful” occurrence was blamed on a “technical fault” during scheduled maintenance.
Islamabad cautioned Delhi to “be mindful of the terrible implications of such irresponsibility” and to avoid a repeat.
The officers guilty of the March 9 incident have been discharged from the Indian Air Force, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.
An examination revealed that the officers’ “violation of Standard Operating Procedure” resulted in the unintentional discharge of the BrahMos missile.
The BrahMos is a nuclear-capable cruise missile developed jointly by Russia and India.
According to Pakistan’s air force, the missile flew 124 kilometres (77 miles) in Pakistani territory at Mach 3 – three times the speed of sound.
According to the military, the missile “endangered many passenger and international flights in Indian and Pakistani airspace,” as well as “human lives and property on the ground.”
After the event, India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, stated that India prioritized the “safety and security” of its weapon system and that any flaws discovered in the system would be corrected following an investigation.
India and Pakistan have a hostile relationship, with both countries claiming ownership of Kashmir while controlling only a portion of it.
The two countries have previously fought wars over the disputed territory, and Delhi has regularly accused Islamabad of supporting separatist rebels in Kashmir, an accusation Islamabad rejects.
