N Korea fires submarine-launched missile

Seoul, July 9 (IANS) North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile, the media reported on Saturday.

The projectile was launched in the waters southeast of North Korea's eastern port city of Sinpo in South Hamgyong province, Yonhap news agency quoted South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying.

The military is analysing the exact flight distance of the projectile and whether the test-firing was successful.

If confirmed, it would mark North Korea's first test-launch of its SLBM since April 23 when a ballistic missile launched from a submarine flew about 30 km before exploding into fragments.

The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington jointly announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) with the US Forces Korea to better tackle what they claimed was North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.