September 29, 2003	Monday	Sha’aban 2, 1424

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NEW DELHI, Sept 28: India plans to induct the long range nuclear capable Agni missile into its armed forces soon, a television channel quoted a senior army official as saying on Sunday.

“The government has taken a decision that the army will handle the Agni series,” Lt-Gen Shantanu Choudhary, vice chief of army staff, told Star News.

“The induction will happen soon.”

India is developing a range of missiles which includes the Agni, which is a key element in its nuclear defence strategy against neighbours China and Pakistan.

It already has two versions of the surface-to-surface ballistic Agni missile.

The Agni-I has a range of 800km and the Agni-II can hit targets more than 2,000km away. A test of an Agni-III missile, which will have a range of more than 3,000km, is planned for later this year.

India staged nuclear tests and declared itself a nuclear power in 1998, prompting Pakistan to respond with similar tests.—Reuters