US and South Korea stage bombing drills over peninsula

The United States and South Korea have staged a series of dramatic bombing drills designed to send a message to Kim Jong‑un.

The flurry of military drills comes after Pyongyang fired another mid‑range ballistic missile over Japan last Friday.

They also follow North Korea’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3 which was in direct defiance of United Nations sanctions and other international pressure.

South Korea’s defence ministry said a pair of US B‑1B bombers and four F‑35 jets flew from Guam and Japan and joined four South Korean F‑15K fighters in the latest drill.

Meanwhile, Russia and China have staged naval exercises ahead of a UN General Assembly meeting where North Korea’s nuclear ambition is likely to dominate proceedings.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the drills aimed to “consolidate partnership and practical co‑operation between the two militaries” and were not aimed at any one country.

Russia and China claim the drills are not directly related to the current crisis engulfing the Korean Peninsula.

Source: News.com.au