Pakistan claims to successfully conduct test of ballistic missile amid tensions with India over Pahalgam attack

Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed lives of 26 people, Pakistan on Saturday (May 3) conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System, a surface-to-surface missile.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces -  the test was done to "ensure the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters,  including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced manoeuvrability features."

The surface-to-surface missile known as the Abdali Weapon System has a range of 450 kilometers.

Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, senior officials from the Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, as well as scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organisations witnessed the launch.

This comes just after the Indian Navy test-fired missile capable of hitting targets inside Pakistan.

The Indian Navy successfully test-fired a medium-range surface-to-air missile INS Surat against a sea-skimming target in the Arabian Sea on Thursday (April 24)

Jointly developed with Israel, the latest guided-missile destroyer, INS Surat, has a 70-km interception range.

About 75% of the guided-missile, named after a city in Gujarat, is indigenously built with features like AI integration, BrahMos and Barak-8 missiles, and advanced radar systems. Commissioned in January 2025, it is also the fourth Visakhapatnam-class stealth destroyer of the Indian Navy.

In one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, 26 people were gunned down by terrorists having links to Pakistan, in the Baisaran meadow on April 22. Known as ‘mini-Switzerland', Baisaran is located at a distance of 5 kilometres from the main centre of Pahalgam.

The meadow is accessible only by foot or ponies and is also a popular trekking location. The rugged, steep, difficult to traverse terrain made it a likely target by terrorists. Also there were no vehicles available nearby and no structures to hide when the attack unfolded.