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N.Korea Threatens US Bases in Guam, Japan


North Korea has warned it could strike U.S. military bases in Guam and Japan, in response to the use of U.S. B-52 bombers in joint military drills with South Korea.

A North Korean army command spokesperson said Thursday that an air force base in Guam and naval bases at Japan's main island and Okinawa are all within range of Pyongyang's "precision target tools."

The U.S. has run two training missions over South Korea in the past month with the B-52 Stratofortress, drawing an angry response from the North. On Wednesday, Pyongyang threatened a "strong military counteraction" if the flights continue.

North Korea also has threatened recently a "preemptive nuclear strike" on the U.S. mainland, but experts say it does not have the capability to do this. Many U.S. allies in the region, though, are concerned they could be easier targets for Pyongyang.



The latest threats, carried in Thursday's official Korean Central News Agency were specific. The article threatened Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, from where the B-52 bombers took off. It also warned of attacks on nuclear-powered submarines deployed off Japan.

North Korea has made almost daily threats against the U.S. and its allies following U.N. sanctions that were passed in response to its latest nuclear and missile tests.

Also Thursday, North Korea put its military on alert and issued an air raid warning, in what appeared to be further preparation for war. South Korean officials say they assume the activities were part of an air defense drill.
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