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North Korea charges U.S. with secretly deploying supersonic bomber

By Elizabeth Shim
North Korea accused the United States of carrying out “nuclear bombing” drills after deploying a supersonic bomber from Guam. File Photo by Kyeong Ryul Kim/ROK Air Force/UPI
North Korea accused the United States of carrying out “nuclear bombing” drills after deploying a supersonic bomber from Guam. File Photo by Kyeong Ryul Kim/ROK Air Force/UPI

May 1 (UPI) -- North Korea claimed the United States deployed a supersonic bomber to the peninsula and conducted a "nuclear bombing drill," according to state media.

Pyongyang's news agency KCNA denounced the United States Tuesday, local time, and said a B-1B bomber coordinated with a nuclear-powered submarine and an aircraft carrier in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

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The article accused the "U.S. imperialists" of "military provocation that further increase the risk of nuclear war," while condemning joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises.

"Less than a day after the U.S. imperialists concluded the warmongering 'Key Resolve' and 'Foal Eagle' exercises, the infamous nuclear B-1B bomber was deployed to South Korean territory to carry out nuclear bombing drills," the statement from KCNA read.

North Korea stated the supersonic bomber was "secretly" sent to South Korea from its base in Guam.

"With a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine that had already been deployed, strategic strike methods were carried out during training," the statement read.

Pyongyang was most likely referring to the USS Carl Vinson, which was deployed April 29, and the USS Michigan, a nuclear-powered guided missile submarine that carries 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

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The "B-1B squadron" then trained in the "dropping of nuclear bombs" on North Korea's "most important facilities," KCNA stated.

Neither the U.S. nor South Korea military have announced the arrival of the B-1B bomber, which was last deployed in March.

North Korea said it is ready to respond to "any form of war the U.S. government chooses" and that it is nuclear ready.

Deployment of U.S. strategic assets to the peninsula has continued as tensions have escalated with North Korea, but on Monday President Donald Trump said he may be interested in meeting with Kim Jong Un "under the right circumstances."

"If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it," Trump said.

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