South Korea
and
the United States
launched 4 surface- to
-ground missiles
in the East China Sea in
response to the provocation
of
North Korea
which yesterday launched a ballistic missile that
flew over
the skies of
Japan
ending up in the sea but forcing the Tokyo authorities to raise the alarm and run citizens to
underground shelters
for safety.
The South Korean and US militaries used
Army Tactical Missile System
(ATACMS) missiles, which accurately hit fictional targets and demonstrated the allies' ability to deter further provocation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The ATACMS is a tactical surface-to-surface missile, belonging to the category of
short-range ballistic missiles
, in service since 1991 with the US Army and produced by
Lockheed-Martin
in various versions with a range from 140 to 300 km.
The launches were carried out from
the Gangneung base
.
The closest to the North Korean border.
Other videos on the net show
a large fire
burning in the same base, some sources speak of multiple explosions.
The Armed Forces of South Korea admitted that a ballistic missile
malfunctioned
and fell to the ground during the exercise with the United States: the roar of the explosion and the consequent fire caused panic among the residents in the coastal city. of Gangneung, who
feared an attack
from North Korea.
South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said Wednesday (today) that
no one was injured
from the incident Tuesday night.
Yesterday the North carried
out the first long-range ballistic test in eight months, launching an IRBM missile for about
4,600 kilometers
and flew over Japan
.
The Tokyo authorities have triggered anti-
aircraft alarms
in some northern territories and invited the population to seek shelter in underground shelters.
In response to this and
other shorter-range launches
in recent months, the aforementioned air exercises were held throughout the day which also involved a South Korean
F-15K fighter
that fired two JDAM shells, economic bombs guided by GPS inertial systems, to a target located in a shooting range on an island in the Yellow Sea.