Pakistan fires second missile in two days amid India-Pak tensions after Kashmir terrorist attack

Economic Times

05-05-2025

Amid escalating tensions with India following the Kashmir attack on April 22, Pakistan's military conducted its second missile test in two days, as reported by AFP. The recent launch aimed to ensure troop readiness and validate the missile's navigation system and accuracy. This surface-to-surface missile possesses a range of 120 kilometers.
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Pakistan's military said on Monday that it has carried out another missile test, its second in two days, following a sharp rise in tensions with India following the fatal terrorist attack in Kashmir on April 22 that India has linked to Islamabad."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 military said in a statement, AFP reported. The military said the surface-to-surface missile had a range of 120 kilometres (75 miles).After second missile test, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said defence is 'in strong hands' Pakistan's military had on May 3 said it had carried out a training launch of a surface-to-surface missile. The military said the Abdali Weapon System — a missile with a range of 450 kilometres — was successfully launched.India sees Pakistan's launch of a ballistic missile on May 3 as a 'blatant' act of 'provocation', PTI had reported citing people familiar with the matter.Meanwhile, India has also been testing its defence muscle.India's newest indigenous warship, INS Surat, successfully intercepted a fast, low-flying target using a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system in the Arabian Sea in April. India has also brought its Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) fleet back into action after grounding it in January to check for possible technical faults. The move comes as tensions rise along the border, with large-scale military activity seen across the Line of Control (LoC).Several major world powers, including the United States and the European Union, have urged both India and Pakistan to ease tensions, while strongly condemning the terrorist attack.India and Pakistan have both made major upgrades to their military power since their last clash in 2019, increasing the chances of escalation even if a conflict starts off on a small scale, former army officers and defence experts told Reuters.Experts say neither country is likely to use nuclear weapons unless they are pushed to the extreme. However, even a limited military exchange carries serious risks of things getting out of control.The two neighbours have fought three wars — in 1948, 1965 and 1971 — and have had many smaller clashes since independence, mostly over Kashmir. Both countries became nuclear powers in the 1990s, and Kashmir remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the world.