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ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Pakistan, locked in a military stand-off with neighbouring India, said it successfully test-fired a medium-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile on Friday.

The missile was named as the Hatf-IV (Shaheen-1). Jane's Defence Weekly says the missile, developed in Pakistan, has a range of 700 km (430 miles) and can carry a 1,000-kg warhead

"Prior notification of the test had been given to neighbours as well as some friendly countries," the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate said in a press release.

Nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India have massed around a million troops along their border since an attack on India's parliament last December that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed militants.

There was no immediate reaction to the missile test from India.

Pakistan last carried out a series of missile tests in late May, when tension with India was at its height. The next month, India tested its locally developed heat-seeking anti-tank Nag (Cobra) missile and a Russian-made military rocket.

At the time Pakistan described its tests as routine, but observers say they were meant to send a clear message that Pakistan was capable of meeting any conventional attack from India with massive retaliation.

Tensions have since eased and the risk of war has receded.

But verbal sparring between the countries has again been stepped up in recent weeks, with India accusing Pakistan of trying to disrupt Indian state elections in the disputed Kashmir region by sending Islamic militants across the border.

Pakistan has denied the charge, and accused Indian intelligence agents of sponsoring violent attacks on its territory.

Pakistan says its ballistic missiles could carry nuclear warheads and has not ruled out using its nuclear capability in response to a conventional attack.

Parliamentary elections are looming in Pakistan in less than a week.

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