NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force said on Tuesday the government had sacked three officers for accidentally firing a missile into Pakistan in March, an incident that the two nuclear-armed rivals handled calmly as there were no casualties.

Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the neighbours, who have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes.

The BrahMos missile – a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India – was fired on March 9, prompting Pakistan to seek answers from New Delhi on the safety mechanisms in place to prevent accidental launches.

India says it 'accidentally' fired missile into Pakistan due to 'technical malfunction'

"A Court of Inquiry, set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile," the air force said in a statement.

It said the government had dismissed the three officers with immediate effect on Tuesday.

According to the U.S.-based Arms Control Association, the BrahMos missile's range is between 300 km (186 miles) and 500 km (310 miles), making it capable of hitting Pakistan's capital Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.

Back in March, India had said it accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.

“On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” the government said in a statement then.

“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.”

The ministry had stated then that the government had “taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry” into the incident.