India intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni-III
© AP Photo/ Manish Swarup
India successfully test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni-III on Thursday, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the national Defense Ministry agency responsible for military research and development, confirmed.

The launch took place at 9:12 a.m. local time (03:42 GMT) from Abdul Kalam Island, off of the Odisha coast.

The Agni-III, which was developed by the DRDO, has a strike range of more than 3,000 kilometers (over 1,860 miles) and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.

The test rocket was launched by the Strategic Forces Command unit of the India army.

The missile has been in service since 2011. The recent tests were aimed at checking the technical systems and maintaining the combat readiness of the existing arsenal of missiles. Such tests are conducted by the Indian Army on a regular basis.