Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable missile
Pastor Dale Morgan
Saturday March 31, 1:21 PM
*Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable missile*
Pakistan on Saturday successfully test-fired its short-range
nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile, the military
announced.
The Hatf II Abdali missile has a range of 200 kilometers (125 miles) and
"can carry all types of warheads," the military said in a statement.
The test, aimed at "validation of the desired technical parameters," was
a success, it added.
Last week, Pakistan tested a longer range version of its
nuclear-capable, radar-dodging cruise missile, the Hatf VII Babur. It
has a range of 700 kilometres.
Pakistan and India have routinely conducted missile tests since the
nuclear-armed South Asian rivals carried out tit-for-tat nuclear
detonations in May 1998.
However in 2004 they launched a slow-moving peace process aimed at
ending six decades of hostility and resolving their dispute over the
Himalayan territory of Kashmir, the cause of two of their three wars.
In February, Pakistan signed a historic deal with India to cut the risk
of atomic weapons accidents.