TEHRAN, Aug 20: Iran test-fired 10 surface-to-surface short-range missiles on Sunday, a day after launching a series of large-scale military manoeuvres geared at testing the country’s new defensive doctrine.

“The Saegheh missile has a range of 80 to 250km,” the state television said. It said the missile was tested in the Kashan desert.

It also reported that a small military training plane had crashed. The plane was not taking part in the manoeuvres, the TV said, stating the crash was due to technical failures. The broadcast said the plane was making an emergency landing on a highway in northeast Tehran when one of its wings hit a water reservoir and it burst into flames and crashed.

It said the only pilot in the plane parachuted safely.

State television said the Saegheh missile was built based on domestic know-how.

It showed 10 missiles being launched from mobile launching pads.—AP