North Korea says it has ordered artillery and rocket units into "combat posture" to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.
The announcement, carried by KCNA news agency, follows days of strong rhetoric from Pyongyang.
The Pentagon condemned the threats, saying the US was ready to respond to "any contingency".
South Korea on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan ship, in which 46 sailors died.
It said there was no unusual activity in the North.
Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of North Korea's third nuclear test on 12 February. The test led to new UN sanctions which Pyongyang strongly opposes.
Joint US-South Korea annual military drills have further angered the communist nation. In recent weeks its habitually fiery rhetoric has escalated - it has threatened the US with "pre-emptive nuclear attacks", as well as strikes on US military bases in Japan.
"From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be putting in combat duty posture No 1 all field artillery units including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units that will target all enemy objects in US invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam," the KCNA statement said.
North Korea is not thought to have the technology to strike the US mainland with either a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile, but it is capable of targeting US military bases in the region with its mid-range missiles.
North Korea's announcement comes as the country carries out large-scale military exercises, and it is not clear whether the order applies to the army as a whole or just to specific units.
The announcement, carried by KCNA news agency, follows days of strong rhetoric from Pyongyang.
The Pentagon condemned the threats, saying the US was ready to respond to "any contingency".
South Korea on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan ship, in which 46 sailors died.
It said there was no unusual activity in the North.
Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of North Korea's third nuclear test on 12 February. The test led to new UN sanctions which Pyongyang strongly opposes.
Joint US-South Korea annual military drills have further angered the communist nation. In recent weeks its habitually fiery rhetoric has escalated - it has threatened the US with "pre-emptive nuclear attacks", as well as strikes on US military bases in Japan.
"From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be putting in combat duty posture No 1 all field artillery units including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units that will target all enemy objects in US invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam," the KCNA statement said.
North Korea is not thought to have the technology to strike the US mainland with either a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile, but it is capable of targeting US military bases in the region with its mid-range missiles.
North Korea's announcement comes as the country carries out large-scale military exercises, and it is not clear whether the order applies to the army as a whole or just to specific units.
0 comments:
Post a Comment