North Korea conducted another cruise missile launch off its east coast on Sunday, this is the second such launch within a week, Reuters reported South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying. While it is unclear how many missiles were fired, the JCS said that the missiles were fired around 8 AM (local time) and that the intelligence authorities from US and South Korea and monitoring the situation. 


"While strengthening surveillance and vigilance, our military is cooperating closely with the United States and monitoring additional signs and activities from North Korea," it said in a statement, as per the report. 


The latest launch comes days after North Korea fired a new strategic cruise missile named "Pulhwasal-3-31", hinting at its nuclear capabilities. 


This is also N.Korea’s third weapons demonstration, the first being the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate range ballistic missile on January 14 and the previous round of cruise missile tests on January 24.


According to Reuters, while tensions are rising between North Korea, US and its allies, Washington and Seoul officials have stated that they haven’t spotted any signs suggesting that Pyongyang intends imminent military action. 


ALSO READ: Nitish Kumar Quits As Bihar CM: Timeline Of His Political U-Turns


Analysts have suggested that Kim Jong Un's government is likely to continue or even increase provocative steps as it has made strides in ballistic missile development, and enhanced its relationship with Russia and also scrapped its decades-long goal of peacefully reuniting with South Korea. 


Earlier on the same day, North Korea’s state media KNCA criticised the military drills which were conducted during the recent weeks by the US and S.Korea while threatening 


"The reality that nuclear war exercises against our republic have been going on like crazy since the beginning of the New Year demands that we be fully prepared for a deadly war," the dispatch said as per Reuters. 


In September 2021, N.Korea carried out its first test cruise missile with possible nuclear strike capabilities.