By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The military said on Monday it conducted a successful training launch of a short-range Fatah Series surface-to-surface missile capable of striking targets up to 120 kilometers (75 miles), a drill that follows heightened tensions with nuclear rival India over the disputed Kashmir region.
The test, part of the ongoing “Ex Indus”, aimed to validate the missile’s navigation system, accuracy, and operational readiness, the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.
Senior military officials, scientists, and engineers oversaw the launch.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Army Chief General Asim Munir praised 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 territorial integrity of Pakistan.”
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a post on social media platform X shared by his Pakistan Peoples Party, called the test a reflection of the country’s “commitment to national security.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office separately stated the launch proved Pakistan’s defence capabilities were “in strong hands,” commending the military’s readiness.
“The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the professional capabilities of the Pakistan Army and its full preparedness for national defence.”
The Fatah test follows Pakistan’s launch on Saturday of the Abdali Weapon System, a surface-to-surface missile with a 450-kilometer range. In May 2023, the military tested the Fatah-II, a 400-kilometer-range guided rocket system it said uses terminal guidance technology to evade missile defence systems.
Tension escalated between India and Pakistan following an April 22 attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam town, where gunmen killed 26 people in one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in nearly two decades.
India claimed cross-border involvement in the attack without providing evidence, an accusation Pakistan has rejected, calling instead for a neutral investigation. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since gaining independence in 1947, two over Kashmir.
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