Why Indian missile fell on Pakistan land: 'Accidental firing due to tech malfunction', says govt

A day after Pakistan claimed that a missile from India had landed on its territory, the Indian government confirmed the incident. The Indian Ministry of Defence issued a statement, claiming that a missile was "accidentally fired".

The statement said, "On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry. It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.

ALSO WATCH | Pakistan Army claims missile from India landed on its territory: 'Probably supersonic missile; unarmed'

A day earlier, the Pakistani military had claimed that its teams had detected a "high-speed object" over Sirsa in Haryana, which then changed direction towards Pakistan, and fell near Mia Channu on Pakistani territory.

Major General Babar Iftikhar had said that initial information suggested that the object was a supersonic missile. The Pakistani Army had clarified that the missile was unarmed, even as it sought answers from Indian authorities. Pakistan had claimed that the missile had put civilian flights, and property on the ground at risk.