North Korea launches missile tests from train

SANAA, Jan. 15 (YPA) – North Korea tested a railway-borne missile in its firing drills on Friday, state media KCNA said on Saturday, amid a US push for fresh sanctions against the isolated state following its recent series of weapons tests.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) travelled about 430 km (267 miles) to a maximum altitude of 36 km (22 miles) after being launched eastward on the northwest coast of North Korea.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Friday’s exercise was aimed at checking the alert posture of its army’s rail-borne missile regiment, which the country first tested last September and was designed as a counter-strike force against any threats.

On the other Hand, Secretary Anthony Blinken reiterated the US commitment to defending South Korea in a telephone conversation with the South Korean foreign minister on Friday, the State Department said.

E.M