SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) – South Korea’s military says North Korea has fired four short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, adding to its barrage of weapons demonstrations this week that has raised tensions in the region.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday that the missiles flew around 130 kilometres toward the North’s western sea.
North Korea this week launched dozens of missiles into the sea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that triggered evacuation warnings in northern Japan, and flew warplanes inside its territory.
North Korea has described its military actions as an appropriate response to a combined United States (US)-South Korea aerial drills, which it called a display of US “military confrontation hysteria.”
The US flew two B-1B supersonic bombers yesterday over South Korea on the final days of the joint drills, in a show of force meant to intimidate North Korea over its intensifying testing activity.
The US will fly a supersonic bomber over ally South Korea as part of a massive combined aerial exercise involving hundreds of warplanes, in a show of force meant to intimidate North Korea over its barrage of ballistic missile tests this week that has escalated tensions in the region.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry said at least one B-1B bomber will participate on the last day of a joint US-South Korea air force exercise that wrapped up yesterday. South Korean and US military officials didn’t immediately provide more details.
The ‘Vigilant Storm’ exercise, which has involved about 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries, has triggered an angry reaction from North Korea. The North this week launched dozens of missiles into the sea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that triggered evacuation warnings in northern Japan, and flew its own warplanes inside its territory.
