North Korea has fired 16 short-range rockets from its east coast 2303142

a

Defence & Security News - North Korea

 
 
Sunday, March 23, 2014 02:00 PM
 
North Korea has fired 16 short-range rockets from its east coast.
North Korea fired 16 short-range rockets from its east coast early Sunday for a second straight day, the South-Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of provocative launches that are in apparent protest of ongoing joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.
     
North Korea fired 16 short-range rockets from its east coast early Sunday for a second straight day, the South-Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of provocative launches that are in apparent protest of ongoing joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.
File photo of a rocket being fired during a drill conducted by the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location.
     
The North fired 30 FROG-7 short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles from the eastern city of Wonsan, the same test site, early Saturday, without making a pre-announcement for civilian flights or vessels.

The North launched the same type of rockets over two times between 00:52 a.m. and 2:31 a.m. Sunday, which flew about 60 kilometers into the sea, according to the military.

North Korea has fired a spate of Scud ballistic missiles and artillery using multiple rocket launchers from its east coast since late February, in apparent protest against ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military drills.

The North has denounced the joint drills as a rehearsal for invasion, while Seoul and Washington have said they are defensive in nature.

The latest rocket launch came three days before Seoul marks the 4th anniversary of the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in the western sea. South Korea blamed North Korea for the sinking that killed 46 sailors, but Pyongyang has denied any involvement.