India became only the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon, after the US, the USSR and China.

India on Wednesday shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile to demonstrate its capability to take out enemy's assets in space, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, making it only the fourth country to have used such a weapon, after the US, the USSR and China.

Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday announced that the test, named Mission Shakti, was not directed against any country and the disused Indian owned satellite was a pre-determined target orbiting at an altitude of 300 km. Mission Shakti, which was led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was aimed at strengthening India's overall security, Modi said in his address.

The anti-satellite missile capability demonstrated by India on Wednesday will be a deterrent in the event of a war where space may be the theatre of action with countries seeking to down enemy satellites, experts explained.

China conducted such a test in January 2007 when its anti-satellite missile - SC-19 - destroyed a defunct weather satellite - FengYun 1C.

Here is how India's hostile and nuclear-armed neighbours - China and Pakistan - reacted to 'Mission Shakti':