DPRK warns of retaliation against US, ROK

PYONGYANG - The military of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday warned of "military counteraction" against recent US and the Republic of Korea's military moves, in particular the US sending B-1B strategic bombers to the ROK.

The US military on Wednesday sent two strategic bombers to the ROK in a show of force against Pyongyang. The two B-1B Lancers flew low over the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 km south of capital Seoul, at about 1:10 pm local time (0410 GMT).

A spokesman for the General Staff of the DPRK military called that in a statement "anti-DPRK military provocations", saying that the provocations "have pushed the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the uncontrollable and irreversible phase of the outbreak of a nuclear war".

The statement, carried by the official news agency KCNA, threatened that the nuclear warheads of the military will completely reduce Seoul to ashes.

"Should they escalate the danger of military provocations by letting B-1Bs fly over the air of Korea, the KPA (Korean People's Army) will sweep Guam from the surface of the earth," it added.

On Sept 9, the DPRK announced that it had successfully conducted an explosion test of nuclear warhead to fit on ballistic rockets. The fifth nuclear test was staged just eights months after the fourth in January.

The fifth test was seen as the most powerful nuclear detonation ever by the DPRK as it produced an explosive yield of 10 kilotons, stronger than 6 kilotons recorded in the previous test.

Pyongyang said Tuesday that it tested an engine jet on the ground of a carrier rocket for geo-stationary satellite, which the Seoul military saw as a long-range missile.