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ISLAMABAD \u2014 Pakistan test-fired a ballistic missile Saturday as tensions with India spiked over last month\u2019s deadly attack on tourists<\/a> in the disputed Kashmir region<\/a>.<\/p>\n The surface-to-surface missile has a range of about 280 miles, the Pakistani military said. There was no immediate comment about the launch from India, which blames Pakistan for the April 22 gun massacre in the resort town of Pahalgam, a charge Pakistan denies.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s military said the launch of the Abdali Weapon System was aimed at ensuring the \u201coperational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters,\u201d including the missile\u2019s advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated those behind the successful test. Missiles are not fired<\/a> toward the border area with India; they are normally fired into the Arabian Sea or the deserts of southwest Balochistan province.<\/p>\n Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said Saturday\u2019s missile was named after a prominent Muslim conqueror of India, underlining its symbolic significance.<\/p>\n \u201cThe timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,\u201d Ali told The Associated Press. He said the test was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing treaty.<\/p>\n India\u2019s navy said on April 27 that its vessels had successfully undertaken anti-ship firings to \u201crevalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long-range precision offensive strike.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India\u2019s Foreign Ministry, said there was anger across the country following the gun attack. The 26 victims came from 13 different states.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cInternationally, there is enormous sympathy for India and little patience with Pakistan,\u201d said Malik. \u201cI don\u2019t believe anybody in India wants a full-fledged war. Even so, there is domestic pressure and diplomatic space for a sharp, targeted, and limited response.\u201d<\/p>\n The ongoing \u201cmuscle flexing\u201d by both countries\u2019 troops was reflective of the tense mood and also apparent in the \u201cunremitting hostilities\u201d on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir, he said.<\/p>\n Kashmir is split<\/a> between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety.<\/p>\n They have fought two of their three wars over the stunning Himalayan region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion,<\/a> mostly due to their competing claims over Kashmir.<\/p>\n