NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s military on Saturday conducted a “successful” test launch of a surface-to-surface missile weapons system, it said in a statement.
The missile system, which has a 450km range, is called the “Abdali Weapon System,” it added.
“Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System, a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometres,” the statement read, adding that the exercise was aimed at ensuring “operational readiness,” according to news agency AFP.
Ahead of the test, Indian officials had said New Delhi was perceiving this as “reckless provocation.”
“Pakistan is preparing to test fire surface to surface ballistic missiles which would be perceived in New Delhi as a ‘reckless act of provocation and a dangerous escalation’ in its hostile campaign against India. The planned missile test in such volatile conditions is a ‘desperate attempt to whip up tensions with India’,” defence officials told news agency ANI.
Since the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 male tourists were shot dead by Pakistan-backed terrorists, hostilities between India and Pakistan have ramped up considerably, with nine consecutive ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian soldiers have been giving prompt and proportionate response to the ceasefire violations.
Fearing a military retaliation by India, Pakistan has also been consistently issuing NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) threatening missile test launches in the region as a show of force.
Pakistan issued the first NOTAM on the night of April 23 with less than 24-hour notice for test firing; however, no ballistic missile firing was observed. Soon thereafter, notifications were issued on April 26th-27th of firing by Pakistani naval ships off the coast of Karachi. Here, too, no firing drills were conducted. After two non-attempts, Pakistan repeated a third attempt on April 30th- May 2nd of firings close to India’s Exclusive Economic Zone, but again, no firings were held.
With continuous exchange of gunfire on the border in Jammu and Kashmir, and the dangerous ratcheting up of tensions by Pakistani politicians sabre-rattling, this fourth provocation of a proposed surface to surface missile test by Pakistan has the potential of dramatically escalating tensions with India.