North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea in the latest tension-raising move by the nuclear-armed state.
The missiles were launched at around 7am (10pm UK time on Tuesday) and were being analysed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence, Seoul said.
'Our military detected several cruise missiles launched by North Korea towards the Yellow Sea at around 7:00 am today,' the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
'The detailed specifications are being closely analysed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities,' it added.
South Korea did not immediately confirm the exact number of missiles fired or their specific flight details.
The launches marked North Korea's second known launch event of the year, following a January 14 flight test-firing of the country's first solid-fuel intermediate range ballistic missile.
Those launches reflected its efforts to advance its lineup of weapons targeting U.S. military bases in Japan and Guam.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to accelerate his weapons development and issue provocative threats of nuclear conflict with the United States and its Asian allies.
The United States, South Korea and Japan in response have been expanding their combined military exercises, which Kim portrays as invasion rehearsals, and sharpening their deterrence strategies built around nuclear-capable U.S. assets.
In the latest tit-for-tat, North Korea said last week that it conducted a test of a purported nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in response to a combined naval exercise by the United States, South Korea and Japan, as it continued to blame its rivals for tensions in the region.
The declaration came nine months after the despotic state first shared images of the armed underwater drones, whose nuclear capabilities have yet to be confirmed.
Another childish don’t forget about me moment.
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