US heavy bombers, jets in show of force against North Korea

SEOUL: US heavy bombers and stealth jet fighters took part in a joint live fire drill in South Korea on Thursday, intended as a show of force against the North after its latest missile launch, reports AFP.

"South Korean and US air forces conducted an air interdiction exercise in order to strongly cope with North Korea's repeated firing of ballistic missiles and development of nuclear weapons," the South's air force said in a statement.

Two B-1B "Lancer" bombers from Guam and four F-35B stealth jet fighters from the Marine Corps' Iwakuni airbase in Japan conducted the drill, with four South Korean jet fighters also taking part.

B-1B overflights of the peninsula from Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, infuriate the North, which cited them when it announced a plan to fire a salvo of missiles towards the island. It was one of the moves that saw tensions spiral this month, along with a new set of UN Security Council sanctions, US President Donald Trump's apocalyptic warning to rain "fire and fury" on Pyongyang, and culminating with the North firing a missile over Japan on Tuesday.

China Thursday condemned "destructive" calls for further sanctions, warning Japan, the US and Britain that diplomacy was needed to avert a crisis. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said sanctions alone "cannot fundamentally resolve the issue", amid reports the three countries were pushing for new restrictions on North Korean oil imports and foreign workers.

 

US heavy bombers, jets in show of force against North Korea

SEOUL: US heavy bombers and stealth jet fighters took part in a joint live fire drill in South Korea on Thursday, intended as a show of force against the North after its latest missile launch, reports AFP. South Korean and US air forces conducted an air interdiction exercise in order to strongly cope with North Koreas repeated firing of ballistic missiles and development of nuclear weapons, the Souths air force said in a statement. Two B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam and four F-35B stealth jet fighters from the Marine Corps Iwakuni airbase in Japan conducted the drill, with four South Korean jet fighters also taking part. B-1B overflights of the peninsula from Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, infuriate the North, which cited them when it announced a plan to fire a salvo of missiles towards the island. It was one of the moves that saw tensions spiral this month, along with a new set of UN Security Council sanctions, US President Donald Trumps apocalyptic warning to rain fire and fury on Pyongyang, and culminating with the North firing a missile over Japan on Tuesday. China Thursday condemned destructive calls for further sanctions, warning Japan, the US and Britain that diplomacy was needed to avert a crisis. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said sanctions alone cannot fundamentally resolve the issue, amid reports the three countries were pushing for new restrictions on North Korean oil imports and foreign workers.