Islamabad: Pakistan's military says it has successfully test-fired a long-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

A statement from the military said the surface-to-surface Shaheen-II missile, which has a range of 1500 kilometres was launched on Thursday and ended in the Arabian Sea.

The announcement comes after a six-week general election in neighbouring India, Pakistan's chief regional rival.

Both nations have nuclear arms and have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. They regularly test-fire missiles.

Vote counting in India shows Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party have secured enough seats for an outright majority.

AP