North Korea test-fired three short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday morning, the United States military and South Korea said, according to Reuters. The US said the missiles did not pose a threat to the US Pacific Territory of Guam, which Pyongyang had earlier threatened to target.
The US Pacific Command said that while one missile appeared to have blown up immediately, two others flew 250 km in northeasterly direction. The statement was a clarification to an earlier one when the US claimed that the two missiles had “failed in flight”.
The tests come just days after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised North Korea for showing restraint in not conducting missile tests since July. It also coincided with the military drills conducted jointly the US and Seoul. Pyongyang has called these drills a “preparation for war”.
Tensions escalated between the two nations since North Korea said it was planning to strike Guam with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic missiles. On August 9, Trump had warned Pyongyang that any threat to the country will be met with “fire and fury like the world has never seen”. He had also warned North Korea that it would “truly regret” if it was to act against any US territory or allies.
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