Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the neighbors, which have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes, usually over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
“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 US-based Arms Control Association, the BrahMos missile’s range is between 300 kilometers (186 miles) and 500 kilometers (310 miles), making it capable of hitting Pakistan’s capital Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.
