Pahalgam terror attack: Pakistan on Saturday announced the successful test launch of the Abdali Weapon System, a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of striking targets up to 450 kilometers away. The launch, conducted as part of Exercise INDUS, comes at a time of heightened tensions with India following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

According to a statement from Pakistan’s military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the launch aimed to “ensure the operational readiness of troops” and validate “key technical parameters,” including the missile’s advanced navigation and enhanced manoeuvrability features. Senior officials from Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division and Army Strategic Forces Command, along with scientists and engineers, witnessed the launch.

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This test marks the fourth instance since April 22 that Pakistan has issued NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) indicating a potential missile launch. Earlier NOTAMs on April 23, April 26–27, and April 30–May 2 were all issued with little notice and no follow-through. Despite warnings of missile activity—including Pakistani naval exercises near Karachi and tests close to India’s Exclusive Economic Zone—no actual firings took place.

Indian intelligence sources described the latest missile test as a “reckless act of provocation” and accused Pakistan of attempting to “whip up tensions” amid the volatile situation. Analysts in New Delhi view the launch as part of a broader campaign of sabre-rattling intended to pressure India following its diplomatic measures post-Pahalgam.

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Since the Pahalgam massacre, the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir have seen a near-daily exchange of gunfire. India has responded by suspending visas for Pakistani nationals, reducing diplomatic staff at the Pakistani High Commission, and shutting down the Attari land border.