Pak test-fires another missile as part of INDUS exercise

Pakistan on Monday test-fired another short-range missile of Fatah Series amid heightened tensions with India following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed at least 25 Indians and a Nepali national.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan said the missile launch was part of Pakistani military’s exercise INDUS and aimed at “ensuring the operational readiness of troops” amid fears of a military action by India.

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“The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy,” the ISPR statement read.

This was the second missile test in less than 48 hours as Pakistan is apprehensive of an Indian military response after Islamabad-backed terrorists attacked tourists in Pahalgam.

Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan had conducted a successful test of its Abdali Weapon System, a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 450km.

While India has not officially commented on Pakistan’s missile tests, government sources had said that New Delhi perceived them as “reckless act of provocation”.

After the Pahalgam attack, India had squarely blamed Pakistan for backing the terrorists who led the carnage on innocent tourists. After the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed to punish the terrorists, their backers and planners.

The PM also gave “complete operational freedom” to the armed forces as they prepared their response to the attack.

In related developments, the chiefs of the Indian Air Force and Navy have met the prime minister in the last 48 hours as pressure mounts on the government to act decisively against Pakistan. Earlier, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also met Modi.

The series of meetings holds significance as they occur at a time when the government is believed to have been planning a non-diplomatic response to the Pahalgam attack.