“A deeply regrettable act. » It is with these words that the Indian Ministry of Defense reacted on Friday March 11 after acknowledging that it had “accidentally” sent a missile into Pakistani territory two days earlier.
“As part of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile” and this one landed in Pakistan explained the Indian Ministry of Defense before adding: “The fact that there was no loss of life as a result of the accident is a relief. »
“Wrongful Violation”
According to the Indian daily Hindustan Times, the projectile would have been launched from the area near Sirsa, in Haryana, a region located in northern India. It would then have been detected by the Pakistani Air Force near Mian Channu, in the province of Punjab. If the nature of the missile was not specified, the Indian ministry nevertheless affirmed that a “high-level investigation” was in progress.
For its part, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has severely condemned this “unjustified violation” of its airspace. This “reckless shooting” damaged buildings on the ground and endangered civilian lives as well as planes in Pakistani airspace, Pakistan’s foreign ministry has denounced, accusing India of showing itself “insensitive to peace and regional stability”. The Pakistani ministry adds that it summoned the charge d’affaires of India in Islamabad who was served “a firm protest”.
→ ANALYSIS. In Kashmir, life hampered
India, a predominantly Hindu country, and Pakistan, a Muslim country, are both nuclear powers. They have fought three wars since the end of British colonization in 1947, two of which over the disputed territory of Kashmir. The two countries maintain a strong military presence on both sides of their common border, and flare-ups of tension have gone so far as to give rise to fears of nuclear confrontation.