Pakistan tests long-range missile amid worsening relations with India
The Pakistani military announced the test of a long-range missile amid growing tensions with neighboring India, Bloomberg reports.
The launch of the Abdali surface-to-surface missile was carried out to ensure operational readiness of the troops and verify key technical parameters, the Pakistani Armed Forces explained.
The military added that the exercises were aimed at testing the navigation system and maneuverability of this weapon.
Pakistan already has Abdali-I ballistic missiles in service with a range of 180 kilometers and a warhead weight of 500 kilograms.
A few days ago, Indian Navy ships conducted test launches of missiles, demonstrating their ability to hit distant targets.
Anonymous Indian officials told Bloomberg that Pakistan's test of a long-range missile is provocative and will escalate tensions.
According to the interlocutors, Pakistan has issued navigational warnings for ships, conducted military exercises in the Arabian Sea, and continued to fire small arms across the disputed section of the border.
- The aggravation of relations between Pakistan and India occurred after an attack on a group of tourists in Kashmir, which resulted in the death of 26 people.
- India blamed Pakistan for the attack and took a number of measures. In particular, it stopped issuing new visas to Pakistani citizens and canceled those previously issued.
- Pakistan's defense minister has denied involvement in the April 22 attack in Kashmir and called for an international investigation into the attack. At the same time, he believes that an Indian military invasion of Pakistan is inevitable.