North Korea on Monday threatened to launch nuclear strikes at the United States and its military bases in Northeast Asia as the United States and South Korea began one of their annual large-scale joint military exercises, Yonhap news agency reported.

Thousands of American Marines and other troops arrived in South Korea in the past week for the exercises, which will involve 17,000 American and 300,000 South Korean troops. The drills test the allies’ ability to respond to North Korean attacks on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has made similar threats before, characterizing the exercises as rehearsals for an invasion. But this year, tensions are raised even higher because of the North’s recent nuclear test and the ensuing international condemnations.

In its statement, North Korea threatened to launch “all-out offensive” and “pre-emptive” nuclear strikes against “U.S. imperialist aggressor forces bases in the Asia-Pacific region and the U.S. mainland,” the North’s top governing agency, the National Defense Commission, said in the statement.

“If we push the buttons to annihilate the enemies even right now, all bases of provocations will be reduced to seas in flames and ashes in a moment,” the statement said.

South Korea responded quickly to the North’s threats. “North Korea must stop its rash and reckless behavior,” Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said. “We will respond resolutely and mercilessly if the North ignores our warning and attempts a provocation.”

Source:: MENA