(BBC) North Korea has warned the US not to take provocative action in the region, saying it is “ready to hit back with nuclear attacks”.
The comments came as North Korea marked the 105th anniversary of the birth of its founding president, Kim Il-sung.
Soldiers, tanks and other military hardware were paraded in Pyongyang in a show of strength on Saturday.
It comes amid speculation that the current leader, Kim Jong-un, could order another nuclear test.
“We’re prepared to respond to an all-out war with an all-out war,” North Korean military official Choe Ryong-Hae said, adding: “We are ready to hit back with nuclear attacks of our own style against any nuclear attacks.”
North Korea staged an extravagant display of military strength at Saturday’s parade amid concern that mounting tensions in the region could lead to a conflict with the US.
Rows of military bands and columns of troops marched into Pyongyang’s main Kim Il-sung square in the heart of the city.
On display for the first time were what appeared to be submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), which could be developed to house nuclear warheads capable of reaching targets around the world.
With concerns that the state is getting closer to successfully producing a nuclear arsenal, Saturday’s parade was an opportunity for Mr Kim to broadcast North Korea’s current military capabilities.
The event made clear how vital the state’s nuclear programme is to its future ambitions as it continues to ignore growing pressure from the US to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
