2022 India–Pakistan missile incident

Accidental firing of a missile

On 9 March 2022, India accidentally fired a BrahMos missile originating from Ambala, Haryana that crashed into Mian Channu, Khanewal District, Punjab, Pakistan.

2022 India–Pakistan missile incident

A BrahMos missile similar to the one involved in the incident.

Date| 9 March 2022 (2022-03-09) (3 years ago)
Cause| Claimed by India to be the result of a malfunction
Participants| India
Pakistan
Outcome| Pakistan publicly condemns India.

## Incident

[edit]

On 9 March 2022, at 6:43 pm, Air Defence Operations Center of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) picked up a high-speed flying object inside Indian territory. "From its initial course, the object suddenly maneuver towards Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan's air space, ultimately falling near Mian Channu at 6:50 pm", according to Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).[1]

The crash near Mian Channu, Khanewal District, in Punjab, Pakistan, caused damage to civilian property but no casualties.[2] The missile travelled 124 kilometers inside Pakistani territory in three minutes and 44 seconds, according to Air Vice Marshall Tariq Zia of PAF. Pakistan Air Force identified the missile's point of origin near Ambala, Haryana[1] and it crossed into Pakistan from Suratgarh, Rajasthan.[3]

Earlier media reports suggested that an aircraft had crashed in the area.[4][5]

## Reaction

[edit]

### Pakistan

[edit]

Pakistan strongly condemned the incident and the military spokesperson said that Pakistan Air Force had "initiated requisite tactical actions" in response as it tracked the missile from its point of origin in India to its point of impact.[1] Warning India against recurrence of such incident in the future, it demanded the Indians explain what caused the accident.[3] The military spokesperson added that the accidental firing of the missile "reflects very poorly on their [the Indians'] technological prowess and procedural efficiency". Pakistan also lamented the threat the missile incident had posed to the safety of many international and domestic passenger flights.[1][3]

On 11 March 2022, the Foreign Office of Pakistan summoned the Indian envoy to register Pakistan's protest over the unprovoked airspace violation by an Indian origin "super-sonic flying object", saying such "irresponsible incidents" reflected India's "disregard for air safety and callousness towards regional peace and stability".[6]

On 12 March 2022, the Foreign Office of Pakistan issued a statement demanding "a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident" while rejecting New Delhi's decision to hold an internal inquiry.[7]

### India

[edit]

In a delayed admission of the accidental missile launch 48 hours after the incident, the Indian Defense Ministry said on 11 March 2022 that "a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile"[8] and that it was "deeply regrettable". India also said that they have ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry to look into the incident. While still unconfirmed by both the Indian and Pakistani authorities, sources said that the missile that was accidentally fired was a BrahMos.[9][10][11] Times of India claimed that conventional missiles like the BrahMos also don't have "self-destruct mechanisms" like the ones supposedly available on India's strategic or nuclear missiles. However, such assertions came from the media and not the Indian authorities.[12]

On 23 August 2022, 3 Indian Air Force officers were primarily held responsible for the incident for "deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures" and their services were terminated by the Indian government with immediate effect.[13][14]

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs later issued a statement rejecting the Indian investigations. Stating that "systemic loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in handling of strategic weapons cannot be covered up beneath the veneer of individual human error", Pakistan maintained its demand for a joint investigation of the incident in the spirit of transparency.[15]

### China

[edit]

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called for "a thorough investigation" into the incident while urging India and Pakistan to "strengthen information sharing" and establishing "a notification mechanism in time to avoid the recurrence of such incidents and to prevent miscalculation".[16]

### United States

[edit]

US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price while responding to a question about the incident, said that "we have no indication" that India's missile launch into Pakistan was "anything other than an accident".[17]

## See also

[edit]

* Pokhran missile incident

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "'India to explain what happened in Mian Channu,' says DG ISPR after Indian projectile falls in Pakistan". Dawn News. 10 March 2022.
2. ^ "Pakistan seeks joint probe into Indian missile fiasco". Express Tribune. 12 March 2022.
3. ^ a b c "Pakistan registers strong protest over unprovoked violation of its airspace by a 'super-sonic flying object' of Indian origin". mofa.gov.pk. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
4. ^ "Trainer crashes in Mian Channu". Dawn. 10 March 2022.
5. ^ "Fighter jet crashes in Mian Channu". Dunya News. 9 March 2022.
6. ^ "FO summons Indian envoy, registers strong protest over unprovoked violation of airspace". Dawn. 11 March 2022.
7. ^ "Pakistan demands joint probe into 'accidental' India missile fire". Reuters. 13 March 2022.
8. ^ "India Accidentally Fires a Missile at Pakistan. Calm Ensues". The New York Times. 12 March 2022.
9. ^ "India accidentally fires missile into Pakistan". BBC News. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
10. ^ "India accidentally fired missile into Pakistan because of 'technical malfunction'". France 24. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
11. ^ "Accidentally fired missile into Pakistan due to tech glitch, says India. 'It was BrahMos'". The Print. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
12. ^ "Missile firing: IAF inquiry on, but Pak seeks joint probe". Times of India. 13 March 2022.
13. ^ "3 Air Force Officers Sacked For Missile Accidentally Fired Into Pakistan". Retrieved 23 August 2022.
14. ^ "India sacks 3 for accidentally launching missile into Pakistan in March". Dawn. 23 August 2022.
15. ^ "Pakistan rejects India's purported closure of the incident of the firing of a supersonic Missile into Pakistani territory on 9 March, 2022 and reiterates demand for joint probe". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government of Pakistan. 24 August 2022.
16. ^ "US, China call for direct Pakistan-India talks". Dawn. 15 March 2022.
17. ^ "No indication India's missile launch into Pakistan was anything other than accident:US". Dawn. 15 March 2022.

* v
* t
* e

India–Pakistan relations

Diplomatic posts|

* High Commission of India, Islamabad
* High commissioners of India to Pakistan
* High Commission of Pakistan, New Delhi

Diplomacy|

* Karachi Agreement
* Jinnah–Mountbatten talks
* Liaquat–Nehru Pact
* Evacuee Trust Property Board
* Indus Waters Treaty
* Permanent Indus Commission
* Tashkent Declaration
* Simla Agreement
* Delhi Agreement
* Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines 1974
* Non-Nuclear Aggression Agreement
* Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline
* Lahore Declaration
* Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline
* Agra Summit
* Indo-Pak Joint Judicial Committee
* India–Pakistan maritime trespassing
* Sir Creek
* Mahavir/Sadqi International Parade Ground

Conflicts|

* Partition of India
* Kashmir conflict
* Indian Armed Forces in Jammu and Kashmir
* Peacebuilding in Jammu and Kashmir
* Annexation of Junagadh
* Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948
* Insurgency in Balochistan
* Indo-Pakistani war of 1965
* Operation Gibraltar
* Custodian for Enemy Property for India
* Bangladesh Liberation War
* Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
* Pakistani Instrument of Surrender
* Islamabad–New Delhi hotline
* POWs
* Line of Control
* NJ9842
* Siachen conflict
* Operation Tupac
* Kargil War
* Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
* Indian Army operations in Jammu and Kashmir
* 2008 Kashmir unrest
* 2010 Kashmir unrest
* 2016–2017 Kashmir unrest
* 2019–2021 lockdown
* Inter-Services Intelligence activities in India
* 2025 conflict

Incidents|

* 1947 Amritsar train massacre
* Indo-Pakistani water dispute of 1948
* Sino-Pakistan Agreement
* Trans-Karakoram Tract
* 1959 Canberra shootdown
* 1971 Indian Airlines hijacking
* Kashmir Singh
* Samba spy scandal
* Indian Airlines Flight 423
* Ravindra Kaushik
* Pan Am Flight 73
* Operation Brasstacks
* Sarabjit Singh
* Sanaullah Haq
* 1992 India–Pakistan floods
* 1999 Pakistani Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown
* Beheading of Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar
* 2001 Indian Parliament attack
* 2001–2002 standoff
* 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings
* 2008 Mumbai attacks
* 2008 military standoff
* 2011 border skirmishes
* Khaleel Chishty
* 2013 border skirmishes
* 2014–2015 border skirmishes
* 2014 India–Pakistan floods
* 2014 Wagah border suicide attack
* Kulbhushan Jadhav
* 2016 Pathankot attack
* 2016 Uri attack
* 2016 Indian Line of Control strike
* 2016–2018 border skirmishes
* 2019 Pulwama attack
* 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
* 2019 Balakot airstrike
* 2019 Jammu and Kashmir airstrikes
* Media coverage
* 2020–2021 skirmishes
* 2021 Lahore bombing
* 2022 missile incident
* 2023 border skirmishes
* 2025 Pahalgam attack
* 2025 crisis
* 2025 conflict

Other military issues|

* Nuclear arms race
* India and weapons of mass destruction
* Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
* Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
* Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism
* Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts
* New Concept of War Fighting
* Cold Start

Related|

* Jinnah House
* Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project
* Foodistan
* Border
* Wagah-Attari
* Attari–Wagah border ceremony
* Ganda Singh Wala-Hussainiwala
* Kartarpur Corridor
* Transport
* Delhi–Lahore Bus
* Jammu–Sialkot line
* Poonch-Rawalakot Bus
* Samjhauta Express
* Srinagar–Muzaffarabad Bus
* Thar Express
* Sind Mail
* Immigration
* Indians in Pakistan
* Pakistanis in India
* Illegal immigration to India
* East Bengali refugees
* Sports rivalries
* Cricket
* Field hockey
* Reconciliation
* Aaghaz-e-Dosti
* Aman ki Asha
* Indian reunification
* India–Pakistan Confederation
* Akhand Bharat
* Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Inspiration: Aman Ki Aasha tour
* Controversies
* Anti-Indian sentiment
* Anti-Pakistan sentiment
* Hindi–Urdu controversy
* Pakistani textbooks controversy

Category:India–Pakistan relations
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template