North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles including inter-continental ballistic missile

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles, including an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), yesterday. It triggered an alert for residents in parts of central and northern Japan to seek shelter. South Korean officials say that North Korea has fired an inter-continental ballistic missile designed to hit targets on the other side of the world.

According to a statement from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired a long-range missile and it flew for about and reached a height of around 1,920 kilometre. However, it appeared to have failed mid-flight, according to



Yonhap news agency citing sources. As per media reports, the ICBM launch is Pyongyang's seventh this year, and comes amid concerns that it will soon test a nuclear weapon. 

It comes a day after both Koreas fired missiles in an escalation of tensions. That exchange saw the most number of missiles launched by the North in a single day.

North Korea's multiple launches come as the US and South Korea are staging their largest-ever joint air drills, which Pyongyang has strongly criticised as aggressive and provocative.