Tuesday, May 26, 2009

North Korea fires two short-range missiles


- North Korea fired on Tuesday two short-range missiles on its east coast. South Korean officials say this whips up tensions even further following a second nuclear test, which North Korea conducted on Monday.

“The North continues brandishing its arms,” a government source stressed. He did not explain whether those had been test launches.

According to officials from the South Korean Ministry of National Defense, North Korea declared on Tuesday the sea area off its northwestern coast closed for ships. Officials in Seoul believe this ban can be also connected with possible missile launches to the Yellow Sea.

A source in the South Korean government said the missiles fired on Tuesday had the range of 130 kilometers. One of them was an antiaircraft missile and the other one - an anti-ship missile. On Monday, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test and fired three small-range missiles. The U.N. Security Council condemned those moves.

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