Guwahati News Desk: North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Tuesday.
According to sources, the missile was launched at about 10:17 am from the sea in the vicinity of Sinpo, where North Korea keeps submarines as well as equipment for test firing SLBMs, and it landed in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
As reported by officials in South Korea and Japan, the launch came after the U.S. and South Korean envoys met in Washington on Monday to discuss the nuclear standoff with the North.
Although the launch was suspected to have been a submarine-launched ballistic missile, it was not immediately clear if the missile was fired from a submarine or from a submersible test barge, as in most previous tests. In addition, a military source did state that it flew about 430 km to 450 km (267 to 280 miles) to a maximum altitude of 60 km (37 miles).
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, “Our military is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States, to prepare for possible additional launches.”
Moreover, South Korea’s national security council expressed regret over the test and urged the North to resume talks.
Photo | CBS News