Pakistan tests ballistic missile amid rising tensions with India
What's the story
Pakistan has conducted a successful test of its Abdali surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a 450km range.
The test was carried out to check the troops' operational readiness and to confirm the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features, among other key technical parameters.
This was revealed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing.
Missile details
Abdali missile: A closer look
The Abdali is a land-based tactical ballistic missile that is currently operational with Pakistan's strategic forces.
While the ISPR statement did not provide additional details about the missile, it appears that the version tested on Saturday has a longer range.
Earlier reports indicated that the road-mobile, solid propellant Abdali missile had a range of 180-200km.
India's perspective
India's view on Pakistan's ballistic missile test
Indian authorities had considered Pakistan's planned ballistic missile launch before the test as a "reckless act of provocation" and a "dangerous escalation" in Islamabad's "hostile campaign" against New Delhi.
The perception stemmed from Pakistan's issuing of naval warnings, increased drills in the Arabian Sea, and continuous ceasefire violations along the LoC and international border in Jammu and Kashmir.
Military exercise
Exercise Indus: A military response to rising tensions
The ISPR said the "successful training launch" of the Abdali weapon system was conducted during "Exercise Indus."
The military drill appears to be a reaction to rising tensions between India and Pakistan over India's halting of the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Pakistan's top leadership has warned that any attempt to halt/divert their share of river waters under the treaty would be an "act of war."