Pakistan on Saturday conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali weapon system, a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers, as part of Exercise INDUS, the military’s media wing reported.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that 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 training launch was witnessed by the commander army strategic forces command, senior officials from the Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, as well as scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organizations, the ISPR added.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, and services chiefs extended their congratulations to the participating troops, scientists, and engineers.
“They expressed complete confidence in the operational preparedness and technical proficiency of Pakistan’s Strategic Forces to ensure credible minimum deterrence and safeguard national security against any aggression,” the ISPR conveyed.
The launch occurs at a time of heightened tension between nuclear-armed neighbors Pakistan and India following the Pahalgam attack in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian government has blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing any evidence, a claim that Pakistan has vehemently rejected.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted his military “full operational freedom” to respond, while Pakistan this week issued a warning regarding an imminent strike by its neighbor.
