Alwaght- North Korea says a pair of US bombers has practiced dropping a nuclear bomb, while flying over the Korean Peninsula in joint wargames with the South, rebuking Washington for pushing the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.

In a Tuesday report, the North’s official KCNA news agency slammed the US for deploying two supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers during a drill with the South Korean air force a day earlier.

It said the bombers conducted “a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects” in its territory at a time when US President Donald Trump and “other US warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike” on the North.

“The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war,” the report added.

The US air force said in a statement that the bombers had flown from Guam to conduct training exercises with the South Korean and Japanese air forces.

The South Korean Defense Ministry also said Monday’s joint maneuvers were conducted to deter provocations by the North and to test readiness against another potential nuclear test.

The deployment of the US bombers comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly spiked in recent weeks.

The United States has already sent an aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, to waters off the Korean Peninsula for military exercises with South Korea and Japan.

Pyongyang has been subjected to international pressure, including US sanctions and Security Council resolutions, to abandon its arms development and nuclear programs. Yet, it says the programs are meant to protect the country from US hostility. </s> WASHINGTON: US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by fighter jets flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea on Saturday, in a show of force the Pentagon said demonstrated the range of military options available to President Donald Trump.

The flight, which was disclosed shortly before North Korea's foreign minister was due to address the United Nations, was the farthest north of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea that any US fighter jet or bomber has flown in the 21st century, the Pentagon said.

"This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, calling North Korea's weapons program "a grave threat."

"We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies."

The flight follows a week of heightened rhetoric from Washington and Pyongyang, with Trump and Kim Jong Un trading insults. Trump called the North Korean leader a "madman" on Friday, a day after Kim dubbed him a "mentally deranged US dotard."

Pyongyang conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has launched dozens of missiles this year as it accelerates a program aimed at enabling it to target the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. The North has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.

The Pentagon said the B-1B Lancer bombers came from Guam and the US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter escorts came from Okinawa, Japan. It said the operation showed the seriousness with which it took North Korea's "reckless behavior." </s> Pyongyang: North Korea on Tuesday accused the United States of making a grave military provocation by sending a formation of B-1B nuclear strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula for the second time in weeks.

The formation flew over South Korea "once again to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill" on Monday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"The formation of B-1B took off from Guam at the dawn of the day and flew over the 80 km of the east of Kangrung on the East Sea of Korea near the Military Demarcation Line," the report said.

"It frantically staged a joint drill making a precision strike against North Korea's major targets together with pursuit and assault planes on the nuclear aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which is conducting a joint naval drill with the puppet navy on the East Sea of Korea," it said.

This was the second time for B-1B bombers to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill in South Korea within several weeks, according to North Korean officials. </s> Two US B-1B bombers were deployed over the Korean peninsula on Monday during a joint drill with South Korea's air force, South Korea's ministry said.

South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a briefing that the deployment of US bombers was part of efforts to deter provocation by North Korea and respond to threats posed by the North's nuclear and missile programmes.

Moon did not give any further details. </s> Pyongyang: North Korea on Tuesday accused the US of making a grave military provocation by sending a formation of B-1B nuclear strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula for a second time in weeks.

The formation flew over South Korea "once again to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill" on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The formation of B-1B took off from Guam at the dawn of the day and flew over the 80 km of the east of Kangrung on the East Sea of Korea near the Military Demarcation Line," the report said.

"It frantically staged a joint drill making a precision strike against North Korea's major targets together with pursuit and assault planes on the nuclear aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which is conducting a joint naval drill with the puppet navy on the East Sea of Korea," it said.

This was the second time for B-1B bombers to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill in South Korea within several weeks, according to North Korean officials. </s> PYONGYANG: North Korea on Tuesday accused the US of making a grave military provocation by sending a formation of B-1B nuclear strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula for a second time in weeks.The formation flew over South Korea "once again to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill" on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported."The formation of B-1B took off from Guam at the dawn of the day and flew over the 80 km of the east of Kangrung on the East Sea of Korea near the Military Demarcation Line," the report said."It frantically staged a joint drill making a precision strike against North Korea's major targets together with pursuit and assault planes on the nuclear aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which is conducting a joint naval drill with the puppet navy on the East Sea of Korea," it said.This was the second time for B-1B bombers to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill in South Korea within several weeks, according to North Korean officials. </s> SEOUL: South Korea said on Tuesday it had conducted a joint drill with a U.S. supersonic B-1B Lancer bomber after North Korea's state media earlier accused the United States of staging a drill to practise dropping nuclear bombs on the Korean peninsula.

Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the South Korean defence ministry, said the exercise took place on Monday but declined to give further details.

Earlier on Tuesday, North Korea's state media said the B-1B bomber flew over South Korea to stage "a nuclear bomb dropping drill". </s> The US has flown nuclear-capable B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by F-15 fighters off North Korea's coast venturing the "farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone," separating the two Koreas, in the 21st century, the Pentagon's spokesperson said."This is the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) any U.S. fighter or bomber aircraft have flown off North Korea's coast in the 21st century, underscoring the seriousness with which we take (North Korea's) reckless behavior," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White.The DMZ is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th Parallel, separating North Korea from South Korea. It was created in 1953, following the armistice which ended the Korean War."This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat. North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community. We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies," the spokeswoman added. </s> Reuters quoted Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the South Korean defense ministry, as saying that a joint drill with a US supersonic B-1B Lancer bomber took place on Monday, but declined to give further details.

On late-Monday, North Korea's state media earlier accused the US of staging a drill to practice dropping nuclear bombs on the Korean peninsula.
Two Rockwell B-1B Lancer heavy bombers are flown over the Korean Peninsula by the United States, leading North Korea to accuse the US of preparing for nuclear warfare.