North Korea fires multiple rocket launcher, says South Korean military
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North Korea appeared to have fired a short-range multiple rocket launcher, South Korean military said on Sunday, amid heightened tensions in the region. The launch comes after a number of larger missile launches by the North in the recent past.
"This morning there was firing in North Korea which is assumed to be multiple rocket launcher shots, and our military was monitoring the related situation and maintaining a readiness posture," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The North Korean military fired four shots around 7:20 am local time (22:20 GMT on Saturday) for around an hour towards the west coast from an unidentified location in South Pyongan Province, according to a report from Yonhap news agency.
Although the launches have not attracted the same attention as the massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), North Korea has tested a variety of new types of multiple launch rocket system in the last few years and it has significantly boosted their massive artillery.
The launch has once again stoked tensions of a possible aggression towards South Korea and National Security Council held an emergency vice-ministerial meeting over the launches.
South Korea approved plans to pursue a $2.6-billion artillery interception system last year, similar to Israel’s “Iron Dome,” which can be used to protect against North’s long-range guns and rockets.
From 2021, North Korea has conducted a huge number of missile launches. South Korea and the US have both warned that North Korea could resume the testing of ICBMs for the first time since 2017.
(With inputs from agencies)