The Pakistani army confirms that tests of the Hatf-VIII, a cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Two days ago, India had experimented with a ballistic weapon with a range of 3,000 kilometres, capable of striking Pakistan and China.

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The military tension continues in southern Asia: after the tests of long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads by the Indian government, Islamabad has tested the effectiveness of a cruise missile capable of carrying an atomic payload.  The confirmation comes from the Pakistani army.

The Hatf-VIII - "thunder" in Arabic - was tested for the first time last year.  It has a range of 350 kilometres, and was developed to be launched from the air.  Last May 7, India tested the capacity of a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 kilometres.  The two neighbouring countries regularly conduct nuclear tests.

A statement from the Pakistani army maintains that the missile "has enabled Pakistan to achieve a greater strategic stand-off capability on land and at sea. The missile test is part of a continuing process of validating the design parameters of the weapon system".

The tension between Pakistan and India has decreased noticeably in recent years, after the signing of a series of bilateral treaties.  Nonetheless, the two countries are still formally at war.

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