Pakistan launches surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shaheen-1

Pakistan on Monday claimed that it has conducted a successful training launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shaheen-1.

Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor, in a tweet, said that the missile is "capable of delivering all types of warheads upto a range of 650 kilometres".

"Pakistan successfully conducted the training launch of SSBM. Shaheen-1 capable of delivering all types of warheads upto a range of 650 KMs," the head of the military's media wing tweeted.

The launch was aimed at testing the operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) ensuring Pakistan's credible minimum deterrence, Ghafoor added.

The missile hit its target in the Arabian Sea. The two-stage missile can carry nuclear and conventional warheads and strike with a high degree of accuracy.

Pakistan has two other medium-range ballistic missiles, the Shaheen-II and the Ghauri. The Ghauri is currently operationally deployed. Two other ballistic missiles, the Shaheen-III and the Ababeel, are currently under development by the National Development Complex.

The missile launch came after India's state-funded DRDO successfully conducted the first night trial of its nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni-II off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday.

Earlier this year, Pakistan had successfully held a night training test-launch of its surface-to-surface ballistic missile, Ghaznavi.