US sends warplanes over Korean peninsula in show of force

Bombing exercise was carried out in response to North Korea’s firing of second missile over Japan

The US has flown two bombers and four stealth aircraft over the Korean Peninsula, in response to North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile over Japan last week.

The exercise was carried out ahead of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, where world leaders will gather to discuss how to address Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

Four South Korean and four Japanese fighter jets also took part in the drill, which involved rehearsing attacks by releasing live weapons at a training area.

“US Pacific Command maintains the ability to respond to any threat in the Indo-Asia-Pacific theatre at a moment’s notice,” the military said.

South Korean defence officials said the exercise lasted two-and-a-half hours, during which aircraft flew north near the border with North Korea before returning to bases in Guam and Japan.

The drill was carried out in direct response to North Korea’s firing of a second ballistic missile over Japan into the northern Pacific Ocean.

Kim Jong-un’s regime fired the first missile over Japan in August.

Earlier this month, Pyongyang carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, claiming it had detonated a hydrogen bomb, in a show of defiance towards the international community.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to increase the pressure on North Korea through the enforcement of UN resolutions.

The UN Security Council last week imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang in an attempt to cut off fuel and income for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as restricting textile exports and oil imports.

North Korea responded by announcing the international sanctions would only force it to speed up its nuclear programme.

A statement by the country’s foreign ministry was released by the official news agency of the DPRK (North Korea) said: “The increased moves of the US and its vassal forces to impose sanctions and pressure on the DPRK will only increase our pace towards the ultimate completion of the state nuclear force.”