Pakistan tests nuclear capable Shaheen-I ballistic missile days after India’s Agni II launch (VIDEO)

The Pakistani military has tested the Shaheen-I surface-to-surface ballistic missile as part of an exercise. Days earlier a similar test launch was conducted by India with its Agni II projectile.

The test announced on Monday and declared a success was conducted by the Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) to ensure “credible minimum deterrence” capability.

Shaheen-I is a short-range solid-propellant ballistic missile with a reported range of 650km (404 miles) which has been in Pakistani service since 2003. It can carry either a conventional or a nuclear warhead and usually uses a mobile launcher as a platform.

On Saturday, Pakistan’s regional rival India showcased its own nuclear capability by launching an Agni-II ballistic missile during a nighttime exercise. It’s a medium-range ballistic missile roughly comparable to Pakistan’s Shaheen-II.

Decades-old tensions between India and Pakistan remain high after New Delhi’s August move to strip autonomy from the part of the disputed region of Kashmir under its control, which Islamabad harshly criticized.

Earlier in February the two nations had their first direct air confrontation in years. Since then, several attempts have been made from both sides to normalize relations.

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