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.