S Korea, US fire missiles after N Korea launch
The South Korean and United States militaries fired surface-to-surface missiles early on Wednesday in response to North Korea's latest ballistic missile provocation. The South Korean Defence Ministry said the militaries launched a total of four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles toward the East Sea. The live-fire drill was aimed at demonstrating precision strike capabilities against North Korea, they said. Meanwhile, the South Korean military fired a Hyunmoo-2 short-range ballistic missile late on Tuesday but it malfunctioned and crashed shortly after launch. The missile's propellant caught fire but its warhead did not detonate, a South Korean military official told the Yonhap news agency. The incident has sparked panic in the usually quiet South Korean city of Gangneung after it crashed into the ground and triggered a huge fire. North Korea conducted its longest-ever weapons test on Tuesday, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan and could reach the US Pacific territory of Guam and beyond, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains. The launch was its most provocative weapons demonstration this year, as it pushes to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the US mainland and its allies with the goal of wresting concessions from those countries, some experts say. (AP/AFP)______________________________
Last updated: 2022-10-05 HKT 13:05 