North Korea test-fires four strategic cruise missiles to demonstrate nuclear counterattack, reports KCNA

North Korea on Friday test-fired four strategic cruise missiles towards the east coast of the Korean Peninsula during a drill, to show its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack, its state media KCNA reported.

The drill exercise involved the Korean People's Army firing four "Hwasal-2" missiles.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

According to reports, this missile hit a preset target after travelling for "2000km-long" elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbits for 10,208 seconds to 10,224 seconds."

KCNA said that the drill demonstrated the war posture of the "DPRK nuclear combat force bolstering up in every way its deadly nuclear counterattack capability against the hostile forces."

Watch |Gravitas: North Korean state newspaper calls foreign aid 'poisoned candy'

It added that other units also conducted firepower training at the site but without live firing.

This comes as the United States and South Korean officials held talks that focussed on the possibility of North Koreausing a nuclear weapon.

The South Korean lawmakers citing intelligence officials claimed that Pyongyangcould test-fire ICBMs on a lower, longer trajectory and might conduct its seventh nuclear test later thisyear to perfect its weapons capabilities. However, previous launches were not reported by Seoul and Tokyo, which often keeps track of launches made by North Korea.

Pyongyang has been repeatedly conducting launches, including the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which a US based-Center for International and Strategic Studies in a report said these demonstrations might be considered as military exercises than development testing. These test launches come despite sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council resolutions that banned nuclear-armed military activities.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE