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NEW DELHI, July 30: India conducted 20 tests of seven missiles in the first half of 2003 at a cost of more than 16 million dollars, Defence Minister George Fernandes told parliament on Wednesday.
“All the 20 flight tests have met the mission objectives set for them,” the minister said in a written reply to a question.
Fernandes said the 20 tests conducted between Jan 1 and June 30.
He said two variants of the nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Agni, were in the “induction phase.” The Agni I has a range of 700 kilometres and the Agni II has a range of 2,000 kilometres.
On the Prithvi missile, which has a range of 200 kilometres, Fernandes said a version used by the army had already been installed in the service while the version for the air force was being inducted.
TERRORISTS: In another reply, the defence minister said that around 3,000 militants were being trained in Azad Kashmir and that there was no change on the countries’ LoC despite ongoing peace moves.
“The situation on the LoC remains unchanged,” Mr Fernandes told parliament in a written reply to a question.
“Intelligence inputs indicate that approximately 3,000 terrorists are being trained in training camps in Azad Kashmir,” he said.
He added that adequate measures were in place to “thwart Pakistan designs and intercept terrorist groups attempting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.”
MILITANCY IN PUNJAB: India on Wednesday accused Pakistan of trying to revive a quashed Sikh insurgency in the northern state of Punjab.
“... the Pakistan ISI (Inter-Service Intelligence) has been making attempts to revive militancy in Punjab,” Junior Home Minister Swami Chinmayanand said in a written reply to a question in parliament.
He said the situation was being “constantly monitored” by the security agencies.—AFP
