North Korea fires three more missiles: Report (Second Lead)

North Korea fired three more missiles off its east coast, a day after it fired four short-range missiles, according to South Korean media reports early Saturday.

The missiles were apparently Scud rockets with a reach of 500 kilometres, the national news agency Yonhap reported, quoting government sources.

The rockets were fired from a launch pad near the port city of Wonsan over the Sea of Japan.

On Thursday, South Korea confirmed that North Korea had fired four short-range missiles over the Sea of Japan, with an estimated reach of 120 to 160 kilometres.

The missile tests on Thursday were thought to be part of routine manoeuvres by the North Korean military but, because of tensions on the Korean Peninsula over its nuclear programme, a new demonstration of North Korea's military strength was not being ruled out, KBS broadcaster quoted a Defence Ministry official in Seoul as saying.

The launches came as a nuclear test, earlier missile firings and threats from Pyongyang as well as tightened UN sanctions against North Korea have ratcheted up tensions with the country.

The Japanese government Saturday morning issued a statement protesting North Korea's action.

The missile launch "is a serious act of provocation against the security of neighbouring countries, including Japan, and is against the resolution of the UN Security Council," Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in the statement.

Last updated on Jul 4^th, 2009 at 10:55 am IST--DPA