Three days after launching the Abdali missile, Pakistan on Monday test-fired another surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometres — the Fatah Series — amid a surge in tensions with India following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy.”

The back-to-back tests come amid rising tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 left 26 people dead, most of them tourists.

The test was witnessed by senior officers of the army, along with scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organisations, reported Dawn.

The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee and the army chief congratulated the participating troops, scientists, and engineers.

“They expressed complete confidence in the operational preparedness and technical proficiency of [the] Pakistan Army to thwart any aggression against the territorial integrity of Pakistan,” the ISPR added.

President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated scientists and engineers, as well as the nation, on the successful test of the Fatah missile.

A post on X by the PPP said, “The president appreciated the efforts of the security forces, scientists and engineers to strengthen the country’s defense. [He] reiterated national commitment to ensure national security and defence.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also weighed in, praising the efforts of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army Chief, and the scientific community involved in the launch.

“The success of the training launch clearly shows that Pakistan’s defense is in strong hands. The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the professional capabilities of the Pakistan Army and its full preparedness for national defense,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

India had responded to the Pahalgam terror attack by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and revoking visas issued to Pakistani nationals.

Cross-border firing has continued for 11 consecutive nights since the attack.

“If aggression is imposed on Pakistan, then the forces are ready to give a befitting reply to the enemy,” ISPR Director General Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in an in-camera briefing to political parties on Sunday, as reported by PTV News.

On the Indian side, military exercises have intensified.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the Indian military “complete operational freedom” to respond to the Pahalgam attack. Last week, India’s Rafale fighter jets participated in a large-scale exercise named Aakraman. The Indian Navy also displayed its preparedness.

On Friday, the Indian Air Force demonstrated its operational mobility by executing a “land and go” operation on a stretch of the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.