India successfully tested two nuclear-capable, short-range Prithvi-II ballistic missiles Wednesday from an eastern military base, defence officials said.
The tests came a day after neighbouring Pakistan tested its Hatf V medium-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile. The weapon is also known as the Ghauri after a 12th-century Muslim ruler from present day Afghanistan who invaded India, DPA reported.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from British rule in 1947 and routinely carry out tit-for-tat missile tests.
The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missiles with a range of 250 kilometres were fired an hour apart from a test range at Chandipur in the state of Orissa, Defence Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said.
The army conducted the tests of the indigenously developed missile, whose name is the Hindi word for earth. It can carry a conventional or a nuclear payload of up to 500 kilogrammes.
"Radar and tracking systems along the coast monitored the trajectory of the missile, and a ship near the target location witnessed the final event," Kar said.
The last test of the Prithvi-II from the same base on September 24 was unsuccessful, but four earlier trials over the period of a year had been successes.
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