Islamabad, 5 May

Pakistan on Monday conducted a successful training launch of the 'Fatah series' surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometres amid heightened tensions with India following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army, said in a statement that a “Fatah Series” was tested as a part of the ongoing exercise “INDUS”.

“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 statement said.

The training launch comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April.

Following the terror attack, India took a raft of punitive measures, including the suspension of the 1960 Indus Accord, which governs water sharing between the two countries.

Monday's training launch was witnessed by senior officers of the Pakistan Army, as well as officers, scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organisations.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Chief of Army Staff congratulated the participating troops, scientists, and engineers.

They expressed complete confidence in the operational preparedness and technical proficiency of the Pakistan Army to thwart any aggression against the country's territorial integrity.