{"id":849295,"date":"2025-05-18T19:12:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T00:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/18\/pakistan-carries-out-ballistic-missile-test-amid-india-tensions\/"},"modified":"2025-05-18T19:12:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T00:12:24","slug":"pakistan-carries-out-ballistic-missile-test-amid-india-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/18\/pakistan-carries-out-ballistic-missile-test-amid-india-tensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan Carries Out Ballistic Missile Test Amid India Tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pakistani military reported that it had test fired a ballistic missile on May 3, as the country squares off<\/strong><\/a> with India following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.<\/p>\n

Video released by the army showed the missile streaking into the sky as soldiers looked on, before shouting joyful slogans.<\/p>\n

The military said they had tested an Abdali surface-to-surface missile system, which has a range of 450 kilometers.<\/p>\n

“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 maneuverability features,” the Pakistani military said.<\/p>\n

The two countries have been locked in a standoff since militants killed 26 people in the Himalayan mountain town of Pahalgam<\/strong><\/a> in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.<\/p>\n

The attack has sparked widespread outrage across India and brought nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan to the brink of conflict.<\/p>\n

India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack and the two countries\u2019 militaries have exchanged fire<\/strong><\/a> across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, which both sides claim sovereignty over.<\/p>\n

On April 30, Pakistan said an Indian attack was \u201cimminent\u201d<\/strong><\/a> within the next 24-36 hours, but no attack materialized.<\/p>\n

In recent days, Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to help ease tensions with India. But the ballistic missile launch may rekindle them.<\/p>\n

Prior to the test, India had warned that it would be a \u201creckless\u201d act and a \u201cprovocation.\u201d There was no immediate response to the test taking place on May 3.<\/p>\n

Pakistan\u2019s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif \u201ccongratulated the scientists and engineers\u201d involved in the test, according to the Pakistani statement.<\/p>\n

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Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali told the Associated Press that the Abdali missile was named after a prominent Muslim conqueror of India, also known as Ahmad Shah Durrani, underlining its symbolic significance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,\u201d he said, adding it was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing<\/strong><\/a> treaty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Pakistan previously conducted a test launch in August 2024. This was a Shaheen II<\/strong><\/a> surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with a range of 2,000 kilometers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).<\/p>\n

In October 2023, Pakistan also successfully conducted a test flight of the Ababbeel weapon system. At the time, the military said the missile system was \u201caimed at strengthening deterrence and enhancing strategic stability in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n