Two US bombers fly over Korean Peninsula in response to ICBM launch, officials confirms

The B-1B planes were flown near the North Korean in response to Pyongyang’s missile test earlier this week and the previous July 3 launch, the US air force confirmed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised the midnight launch of the missile on Friday night and said it was a “stern warning” for the United States it would not be safe from destruction if it tries to attack.

State television broadcast pictures of the launch, showing the missile lifting off in a fiery blast in darkness and Kim cheering with military aides.

North Korean state media KCNA quoted Kim Jong-un saying: “The test-fire reconfirmed the reliability of the ICBM system, demonstrated the capability of making a surprise launch of the ICBM in any region and place any time, and clearly proved that the whole US mainland is in the firing range of the DPRK missiles.”

The two fighter jets took off from a US airbase in Guam and were joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets.

In a statement, Pacific Air Forces commander General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy said: “North Korea remains the most urgent threat to regional stability.

“If called upon, we are ready to respond with rapid, lethal, and overwhelming force at a time and place of our choosing.”

According to expert David Wright, the missile launched by the North Korea earlier this week would have a range of 6,500 miles.

North Korea’s launch comes just one day after the 64th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War.

The communist leader Kim Jong-un ordered the launch at 11.41pm local time (2.41pm BST) of a missile into Japanese territory, officials claim.

The missile is believed to have flown for 45 minutes before landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according the nation’s chief cabinet secretary Suga.