- ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan,
locked in a military stand-off with India, successfully test-fired a medium-range
ballistic missile on Tuesday, concluding a series of two tests in less
than a week, state media reported.
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- The second test came two days before parliamentary elections
in Pakistan and on the day India held the last phase of a disputed state
poll in Kashmir, the Himalayan region that was the trigger for two of the
three wars the two nations have fought.
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- Last Friday Pakistan said it had successfully test-fired
a medium-range Hatf-IV (Shaheen-1) surface-to-surface missile. Hours later
India test-fired a short-range surface-to-air missile of its own.
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- Tuesday's Pakistani test involved the same type of missile
as the first, state media said.
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- "It is a continuation of the test that was carried
out on October 4, to validate certain additional parameters," Pakistan
Television news reported. "These parameters stand completely validated
in the light of the data collected from the test."
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- "The test concludes for now the series of planned
tests," PTV added.
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- Jane's Defense Weekly says the Shaheen-1 has a range
of around 700 km (430 miles).
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- The United States criticized both countries for last
week's tests, saying they could encourage a nuclear missile and arms race
in the region.
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- Border tensions remain high between the two countries,
which almost came to war in June over disputed Kashmir.
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