India’s government on Friday said a missile that landed in Pakistan was the result of a “technical malfunction.”
According to India’s Ministry of Defense, the accidental firing happened on Wednesday during routine maintenance. They said the missile landed in “an area of Pakistan” but didn’t specify whether the area was rural or urban.
“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,” Indian officials said in a statement released Friday.
The government has taken a “serious view” of the missile firing and ordered a high-level court of inquiry into what happened, officials in New Delhi said.
India and neighboring Pakistan are both nuclear powers and have had a contentious history since the partition of British India in 1947. They have been antagonists in a number of wars and long-standing disputes since then, including mutual allegations of cross-border terrorism.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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