Arizona Tribune - Pakistan military says conducts training launch of missile

New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists last month in Indian-administered Kashmir, sparking a ramping up of rhetoric between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

"Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System -- a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometres," the military said.

"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 manoeuvrability features."

On Friday, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir presided over a meeting of his top commanders about the "current Pakistan-India standoff", a military statement said.

Munir "underscored the critical importance of heightened vigilance and proactive readiness across all fronts".

After the April 22 attack at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has given his military "full operational freedom" to respond to it.

He also vowed to pursue those who had supported it "to the ends of the Earth".

Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack.

This week it warned of an imminent air strike from its neighbour, and has repeatedly made clear it will respond with force to any aggression by India.

International pressure has been piled on both New Delhi and Islamabad -- who have fought several wars over the disputed Kashmir region -- to settle their differences through talks.

Since the attack -- the deadliest in Kashmir on civilians in years -- India and Pakistan have exchanged tit-for-tat diplomatic barbs and expulsions, and shut border crossings.

The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire for nine consecutive nights along the militarised Line of Control, the de facto border, according to Indian defence sources.

Muslim-majority Kashmir, a region of around 15 million people, is divided but claimed in full between Pakistan and India, which have fought three full-fledged wars since their separation in 1947.

Th.Gonzalez--AT