During large-scale joint air drills between the US and South Korea, Seoul scrambled approximately 80 fighter jets after detecting North Korean warplanes, CNN reported citing the South Korean military statement on Friday.
According to the official statement of the South Korean military, about 180 North Korean military aircraft were spotted between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (local time)
The South Korean deployment included an unspecified number of F-35A stealth fighter jets, the statement added. Notably, the region's situation has been tense since the joint drills began on Monday, triggering an angry response from Pyongyang.
The joint air exercise between the US and South Korea is taking place with around 240 aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, mobilized around the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea's military earlier said that an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at around 7:40 am on Thursday. This latest launch marked the country's seventh firing of an ICBM in 2022.
However, South Korea's defence source told Yonhap that Thursday's missile seems to have failed in a routine flight.
"Our military has beefed up surveillance and vigilance while maintaining the readiness posture in close cooperation with the US," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Pyongyang had fired an unknown ballistic missile on the Sea of Japan. Media reports had said that the missile is believed to be an intermediate- or long-range missile.
Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said numerous times that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential.
( With inputs from ANI )
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