North Korean missile launches in July
The United States Pacific Command detected and tracked three short-range ballistic missile launchings from North Korea's east coast, according to a spokesman, Commander Dave Benham.
Benham said the first and third missiles failed in flight, but he did not say how far they flew. The second missile appears to have blown up almost immediately, he added.
The initial report from the Yonhap news agency attributed an earlier report to the South Korean office of the nation's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles blasted off from a coastal launching site and flew about 155 miles to the northeast before falling into the sea, the South Korean military said in a statement. Defense officials were analyzing data to determine what type of missiles were used, it said.
This launch follows a recent week in which Guam's citizens and its tourist visitors spent an uneasy time as President Trump and Korea's Kim Jong-un hurled threats of missile attacks back and forth, with Guam cited as a target of a potential North Korean attack. American and South Korean forces began twice-yearly war games on Monday aimed at preparing for a possible attack by the North.
“The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the three ballistic missile launches from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America,” Commander Benham said. “The U.S. Pacific Command determined the three ballistic missile launches from North Korea did not pose a threat to Guam.”