(MENAFN) According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, North Korea launched four short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday into the ocean. According to reports, the rockets traveled 130 kilometers and reached a 20-kilometer height.

With the launches, Pyongyang has now tested 30 ballistic missiles overall since Wednesday. The stepped-up operations coincide with the United States and South Korea's ongoing "Vigilant Storm" aircraft maneuvers, which began on Monday. North Korea has conducted live-fire artillery drills in addition to firing ballistic missiles, among other military drills.

The war drills, which were initially supposed to end on Friday, were postponed one day, with Pyongyang calling the move a "irrevocable and awful mistake." In a further display of might on Friday, Pyongyang scrambled roughly 180 fighter planes north of the Military Demarcation Line between the two Koreas.

According to the United States Air Force, this year's "Vigilant Storm" maneuvers are the biggest yet and feature 240 military aircraft. Under the codename "Vigilant Ace," the yearly joint United States-South Korean drill was first performed in 2015. When Seoul attempted to improve relations with Pyongyang in 2018, the drills were put on hold.

MENAFN06112022000045014146ID1105138528