North Korea said to have sent a 'clear message to the enemies' with its latest missile launch (Image: AP)
North Korea said to have sent a "clear message to the enemies" by firing two short-range ballistic missiles to simulate nuclear strikes on military targets in South Korea.
Pyongyang's state media claimed the test was a warning in light of the deployment of a US strategic bomber to the region.
The missiles were fired off the east coast around midnight on Wednesday (August 30).
The North Korean army described the launch as a "tactical nuclear strike drill simulating scorched earth strikes at major command centres and operational airfields" in South Korea.
They added the drill was "aimed to send a clear message to the enemies" who "challenge us with such military threats as the deployment of strategic nuclear assets despite our repeated warnings".
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The drill happened on Wednesday night (Image: JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/REX/Sh？utterstock)
The military leadership of the hermit country likely referred to the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint military exercises, which Washington and Seoul have been carrying out over the past few days and are to come to an end on Thursday.
A few hours prior to this launch, the US had deployed a B-1B bomber which flew over the Korean Peninsula as part of the yearly joint training operations.
In July, for the first time in four decades, Washington had also dispatched a nuclear-capable submarine to South Korea.
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The North Korean army said the missiles had been fired in a 'tactical nuclear strike drill' (Image: JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/REX/Sh？utterstock)
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These annual drills and the US's presence near the Korean peninsula have regularly proven triggering for North Korea, which has long denounced them as rehearsal for a conflict.
This reported launch by Pyongyang comes a few days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed on Monday the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula had been rendered unstable by the US, accused of intensifying its naval exercises with Seoul.
On Tuesday, he witnessed a military drill aimed at preparing his top commanders for an all-out war with South Korea, with the training including North Korean forces repelling an invasion and launching a counter-attack able to occupy the neighbouring country.
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This reported rocket launch comes amid an intense round of tests in North Korea.
In 2022, Pyongyang tested a record number of missiles - including one believed to be capable of reaching US territory - and over the past eight months it has continued with its intense drills.
This year, North Korea has also twice tried to launch two spy satellites into space - but both attempts have failed. The third is expected to take place in autumn.
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