Mar 15, 2022: The United States said Monday it had “no indication” that India’s missile launch into Pakistan last week was “anything other than an accident.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price responded to a question at a press briefing about the incident and referred the Pakistani journalist to the Indian Ministry of Defense for “follow-up”.

The journalist further asked Price whether the US had raised concerns with India regarding uranium theft in the country and the subsequent arrest of seven people suspected to be part of a national gang involved in the illegal trade.

“We have no indication, as you also heard from our Indian partners, that this incident was anything other than an accident. We refer you, of course, to the Indian Ministry of Defence for any follow-up. They issued a statement on March 9 to explain precisely what had happened,” Price commented, adding that the US did not have a further comment.

“I’m not familiar with that particular incident”, the spokesperson said, further stating that nuclear safety was an ongoing conversation, particularly for nuclear-armed countries.

Last week, India admitted that it had mistakenly fired a missile into Pakistan and ordered a high-level court to investigate the incident, which could lead to a major catastrophe or misunderstanding between two nuclear-armed neighbors.

“On March 9, 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” read a statement issued by the Indian defence ministry in New Delhi.

“The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry,” it further said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement, “Pakistan calls upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region.”

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