India Test-fires Guided Missile Agni-II
Pakistan Times Monitoring Report

BHUBANESHWAR (India): India test fired a long-range nuclear-capable Agni II missile off its eastern coast of Orissa on Sunday, a defence ministry spokesman said.

"It was a third successful test firing of Agni II," he said.

The surface-to-surface Agni II missile, which has a range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles), was also tested in 1999 and 2001.

India is developing a range of missiles, including the Agni, or "fire" in Sanskrit, as part of its nuclear defence strategy against neighbours China and Pakistan.

The Agni-I has an estimated range of 1,200 km (750 miles) and the Agni III, still under development, will have a range of 4,000 km (2,500 miles).

India staged nuclear tests and declared itself a nuclear power in 1998, prompting long-time rival Pakistan to respond with similar tests in a most successful way.

The two nations have fought three wars and edged to the brink of a fourth in 2002 over Kashmir dispute.

India and China also fought a border war in 1962.●