Pakistan launches missile deterrent amid tensions with India (VIDEO)

Officials have said the Abdali Weapon System, which has a range of 450km, is meant to safeguard Islamabad “against any aggression”

The Pakistani military has successfully carried out a test launch of a surface-to-surface missile called the Abdali Weapon System that has a reported range of 450km (280 miles), according to defense officials. The drill comes as tensions between Pakistan and its neighbor and regional archrival India remain elevated following the deadly terrorist attack in India’s Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement on Saturday, the Pakistani Armed Forces announced that the launch carried out earlier in the day “was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features.”

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Islamabad’s military top brass observed the exercise, while President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed confidence that Pakistan’s Strategic Forces are capable of ensuring “credible minimum deterrence and safeguard national security against any aggression.”

Hours before the test, the Hindustan Times reported that the Indian authorities perceived the planned Pakistani ballistic missile test as a “reckless act of provocation” and a “dangerous escalation” of Islamabad’s “hostile campaign” against New Delhi.

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Relations between Islamabad and New Delhi  sharply after terrorists gunned down 26 civilians in the Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist destination, on April 22.

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The Resistance Front, believed to be tied to the Pakistani-based organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility for the attack, though later reports indicated that the group had distanced itself from it. Indian police identified three suspects, claiming that two of them are Pakistani nationals.

In the wake of the attack, India accused its neighbor of aiding and abetting armed militants in their cross-border incursions – a claim Pakistan has vehemently denied.