Pakistan’s Shaheen-III Missile Test Fails, Crashes Near Dera Ghazi Khan Nuclear Facility

An impending disaster was narrowly averted on Tuesday when Pakistan's test of the nuclear-capable Shaheen-III missile ended in failure. The missile crashed near a sensitive nuclear facility in Dera Ghazi Khan, scattering debris alarmingly close to civilian areas in Balochistan's Dera Bugti district.

Initial reports reveal that the test took place on July 22 from the Rakhshani area in Dera Ghazi Khan. However, the missile deviated from its path, impacting near the Loop Seharani Levy Station in the Matt region, a mere 500 meters from inhabited zones. The resulting explosion sent shockwaves up to 50 kilometers through areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Social media quickly filled with videos of panic-stricken locals fleeing, fearing the event was either a foreign drone attack or a nuclear disaster. Pakistani authorities responded by imposing an internet blackout, restricting media access to the impact site, and advising residents to stay indoors.

The Pakistani military has not yet provided a comprehensive explanation. Mazhar Shirani, a local official from the DG Khan Commissioner's office, attempted to downplay the incident, attributing it to a fighter jet's sonic boom. Nonetheless, the presence of missile debris and the magnitude of the explosion have left many skeptical.

The Shaheen-III is among Pakistan's most advanced strategic missiles with a range of 2,750 km, capable of reaching major Indian cities. It plays a pivotal role in Pakistan's nuclear strategy as a deterrent. However, this latest failure highlights recurring issues with the missile, adding to a series of past mishaps.

Previous failures include Shaheen-III tests in October 2023 and January 2021, both resulting in panic and damage in Balochistan. In 2020, a Babur-II missile crashed during a trial in the same region, and in 2022, an unexplained missile fell in Sindh province. These incidents raise serious concerns about the reliability of Pakistan's missile systems.

The failed test has reignited anger among Baloch communities, who accuse the Pakistani military of using Balochistan as a testing ground. Protests erupted in Dera Bugti and nearby areas, with activists complaining about forced evictions during missile trials, inadequate safety measures for civilians, and environmental damage from previous tests, including the 1998 nuclear detonations at Chagai.

Sher Mohammad Bugti of the Baloch Republican Party condemned the test, asserting that "Pakistan has used Balochistan as its weapons laboratory for decades," and urged the United Nations and international human rights organizations to intervene.

The Dera Ghazi Khan area hosts one of Pakistan's most crucial nuclear complexes, integral to uranium processing and believed to be vital to the country's weapons-grade plutonium program. Any damage to it would have severe repercussions, not just for Pakistan, but for regional stability.

India has not made an official statement, but defense experts are closely monitoring the situation. The incident comes weeks after India's Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike in May following the Pahalgam terror attack. Some Indian analysts view the missile failure as indicative of weaknesses within Pakistan's strategic command, while the proximity of the crash to a nuclear site has raised concerns.

Internationally, the United States has remained silent, though observers noted that U.S. nuclear surveillance aircraft were seen near Dera Ghazi Khan following the 2023 blast, suggesting increased interest in monitoring Pakistan's nuclear security.

With the Pakistan Interior Ministry declining to comment and media blackouts ongoing, pressing questions remain: Was the nuclear site truly undamaged? Why the suppression of information? And how secure is Pakistan's nuclear command and control?

For now, while the incident ended without reported casualties, the latest mishap with the Shaheen-III has once again exposed technical vulnerabilities and reignited concerns over nuclear safety in one of the world's most volatile regions.