Pakistan Successfully Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Shaheen II Missile

Pakistan has successfully tested the surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Shaheen II on Thursday (23 May), the Hindu reports.

The Shaheen II is capable of carrying both the conventional and nuclear weapons upto a reach of 1,500 kilometres and brings the majority of Indian cities in the range of the missile.

The success was congratulated by PM Imran Khan and the Joint Chief of armed forces. Pakistan’s Director General Strategic Plans Division, scientists and engineers of the strategic organisations, Commander Army Strategic Forces Command and senior officers from the Army Strategic Forces Command witnessed the test launch.

Shaheen II is land-based supersonic surface-to-surface medium-range guided ballistic missile and is suspected to be a derivative of the Chinese M-18 missile a two-stage rocket.

The test comes amid rising tensions between the India and Pakistan which have had their armies on the standby at their borders.