Pyongyang [North Korea], April 23 : North Korea has reportedly conducted a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack, featuring super-large multiple rocket launchers, as revealed by state media on Tuesday.
This exercise comes hot on the heels of South Korea's disclosure that the North had launched short-range missiles into the East Sea just a day prior, Yonhap reported.
Leader Kim Jong-un guided the drill held Monday to operate super-large multiple rocket units that will have an "important role in substantially strengthening the prompt counterattack capacity of the state nuclear force," Yonhap quoted the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying.
"The drill ... is a clear warning signal to the enemies as it was conducted at a time when the enemies' military confrontation racket against the DPRK is being committed with extremely provocative and aggressive nature," the KCNA said.
Leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw the drill held on Monday, which involved the operation of super-large multiple rocket units. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), these units are poised to significantly bolster the prompt counterattack capabilities of North Korea's nuclear force.
South Korea's military had announced on Monday that the North had fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea. This action followed closely after the North's claim of conducting a super-large warhead power test for a strategic cruise missile and test-firing a new anti-aircraft missile into the Yellow Sea.
The latest missile launches coincided with a two-week joint annual air exercise between South Korea and the United States aimed at enhancing readiness against North Korea's military threats. North Korea has historically used such drills as justifications for its military provocations, with KCNA condemning the joint exercise as an attempt to forcibly suppress North Korea.
During the drill, units practiced transitioning to a nuclear counterattack posture in response to the highest level of nuclear crisis alarm, "Hwasan." Additionally, they fired super-large multiple rocket launcher shells, purportedly tipped with simulated nuclear warheads, hitting a target island within a 352-kilometer range, as reported by KCNA.
The launched missiles "accurately" hit the target island within a 352-kilometer range, it added.
The KCNA said Kim expressed great satisfaction over the drill and called for continued efforts to deter and take the initiative in a war "in any time and any sudden situation."
"He appreciated with satisfaction... the plan of the Party Central Committee for building the nuclear force on expanding the operation space of tactical nuclear attack and diversifying it has been translated into reality," he said, Yonhap reported.
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