Pakistan test fires N-capable missile

Pakistan said Monday it had successfully test fired a short-range ballistic missile capable of carrying atomic warheads.The Hatf II (Abdali) has a range of 180 kilometres (113 miles) and carries nuclear as well as conventional warheads with high accuracy, the military said in a statement.It provides an operational level capability to Pakistans strategic forces, additional to the strategic and tactical level capability which Pakistan already possesses, the statement said.South Asian rivals India and Pakistan -- which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 -- have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998.Pakistans arsenal includes short-, medium- and long-range missiles named after Muslim conquerors.The neighbours were on the brink of nuclear conflict in 2002 over the disputed territory of Kashmir, but a slow-moving peace dialogue resumed last March after a three-year suspension following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.India and the United States blamed the attacks on Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Islamabad later admitted that the assault was at least partly planned in Pakistan.