New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Saturday successfully test fired a Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) interceptor missile designed to intercept and destroy hostile ballistic missiles in space even before they enter the Earth's atmosphere.

This further enhances India's capability of dealing with a nuclear attack threat.

At 7.45 a.m., on the east coast of India, an incoming missile was successfully intercepted at a height of 100 km with a direct hit by an interceptor missile, said a DRDO official.

The PDV can reach even higher altitudes.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally said: "Today (Saturday) our scientists have made a missile that could attack an incoming missile in the sky. Only four-five countries in the world have done this."

The two stage PDV missile is part of the two layered Ballistic Missile Defence system developed by the DRDO, the research and development wing of the Defence Ministry, with the Hyderabad based Research Centre Imaarat (RCI) as the nodal laboratory.

Its interception window spans from 80-120 km.

The fully automated system consists of a network of sensors, computers and launchers, designed to intercept hostile ballistic missiles, possibly carrying nuclear weapons and destroy them before they can cause any damage.

This was the second test of the PDV.