India tests intermediate-range nuclear missile

India has successfully tested an intermediate-range nuclear-capable missile, a capability a group of few nations have.

The Agni-III missile, with a range of more than 3,000 kilometers (2,000 miles), was tested from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa, an Indian defense ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“All the parameters have been met, the test was successful,” the source told AFP, adding that the missile was fired from a mobile launcher.

It was the fourth test of the weapon, which can carry 1.5 tons of conventional or nuclear payloads. The first and second tests had failed.

Later, the Indian defense industry introduced DRDO-developed missile which was successfully tested in 2007 and 2008.

The news comes days after making a proposal for a resumption of talks with Pakistan at the foreign secretary-level, signaling a major breakthrough in relations, frozen since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.