India successfully test-fired the Agni-5 surface-to-surface ballistic missile on Wednesday, officials said. The missile can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a high degree of accuracy, officials added. They stated the test-firing took place around 7:50 p.m. from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. The missile's successful test-firing came amid a continuing border stalemate with China in eastern Ladakh.
Since winning independence from British colonialists in 1947, India has been allowed to strike anywhere in Pakistan, its arch-rival with whom it has fought three wars. Since the 1990s, India has been developing medium- and long-range nuclear and missile weapons in response to growing strategic competition with China, bolstering the country's defence capabilities significantly.
