India launches Israeli satellite: report

India successfully launched an Israeli satellite Monday in a mission carried out under a veil of secrecy, the NDTV news channel reported, citing officials at the Indian space agency.

The channel quoted unnamed officials at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as saying Tecsar, or Polaris as the satellite is sometimes referred to, was launched from the Sriharikota space station at 9:15 am local time (0345 GMT).

The "copybook" launch by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which was not officially announced by the Bangalore-based ISRO, had been kept secret because of its "geopolitical sensitivity," it said.

ISRO officials declined to comment on the report.

The 300-kilogram (650-pound) Tecsar is reported to be Israel's most advanced satellite, and equipped with a camera that can take pictures of small targets under cloudy and foggy conditions, boosting its intelligence gathering capabilities.

Israel took the decision to launch it from India three years ago. It contracted India because Israel lacks a vehicle capable of boosting the satellite into a polar orbit, according to defence analysts.

It is the second commercial launch of a foreign satellite by India, which sent into space an Italian satellite in April last year.