India has successfully intercepted an incoming ballistic missile in the exo-atmosphere as it develops a two-layered ballistic missile defense system.

The test took place Saturday off the Bay of Bengal, the Ministry of Defense said.

"With this commendable scientific achievement, India has crossed an important milestone in building its overall capability towards enhanced security against incoming ballistic missile threats," the ministry reported in a news release.

"PDV [Prithvi Defense Vehicle] mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 kilometers [about 31 miles] ...," a report from the Press Trust of India quoted an official of the Defense Research Development Organization. "Both the PDV interceptor and the two-stage target missile were successfully engaged."

The target mimicked a hostile incoming ballistic missile and was launched from a ship in the Bay of Bengal. The interceptor was launched from Kalam Island.

Additional details of the test were not disclosed.