Pakistan carried out a successful training launch of a Fatah series surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometres, as part of the ongoing military exercise, Indus, the military's media wing said on Monday.
This is the second missile launched by the military amid heightened tensions with India, following New Delhi’s sweeping actions against Pakistan after the Pahalgam incident, which has plunged bilateral relations to a new low.
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The purpose of the launch was to ensure the operational readiness of troops and validate critical technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and improved accuracy, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The launch was observed by senior officers of the Pakistan Army, as well as scientists and engineers from the country's strategic organisations.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir congratulated the troops, scientists, and engineers involved in the exercise.
They expressed full confidence in the Pakistan Army’s preparedness and technical expertise to counter any aggression against the nation’s territorial integrity.
Pakistan has said that India plans a military incursion after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the deadly attack on domestic tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir's (IIOJK) Pahalgam last month. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to punish the backers of the attack "beyond their imagination".
Meanwhile, despite threats from New Delhi, Islamabad has remained composed and reiterated its willingness to take part in a neutral investigation into the attack. However, India’s leadership and media continue to fuel warmongering narratives.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has assured the international community that Pakistan will not escalate tensions in the region, reiterating the country’s commitment to peace.
“You have to work on the other side, don’t worry about us. I have given you my word. We will exercise restraint,” he told an event in Islamabad.
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