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U.S. Bombers Fly Over Korean Peninsula After North's Missile Launch


Two B-1B bombers were joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets in a 10-hour mission. (file photo)
Two B-1B bombers were joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets in a 10-hour mission. (file photo)

The U.S. Air Force says two of its bombers flew over the Korean peninsula in a show of force after recent North Korean missile tests.

Pyongyang carried out a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 28 that it said was capable of reaching the U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons.

The U.S. B-1B bombers took off from a U.S. air base in Guam, the military said, and were joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets in a 10-hour mission, practicing intercept and formation drills.

"North Korea remains the most urgent threat to regional stability," said General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, in a statement.

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

The announcement coincided with tweets from U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticized Beijing for failing to rein in their North Korean allies.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

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