Japan to deploy anti-missile system amid growing conflict with North Korea

Tokyo: The Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shizo Abe has decided to install a new anti-missile system on Hokkaido island after North Korea tested two missiles that flew over its territory, a Defence Ministry official said on Tuesday.

The decision to install the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor in a military base in Hakodate city comes after Pyongyang conducted its latest launch of a medium-range missile that fell into the Pacific Ocean after flying over northern Japan on September 15, the official was quoted as saying by Efe News.

Pyongyang, which had earlier threatened to "sink" Japan with a nuclear bomb for backing the US-led sanctions, fired another missile on August 29. That too flew over northern Japan.

The official added that Japan was monitoring North Korea''s movements for another possible missile launch.

Japan had deployed anti-missile systems in western Japan last month after Pyongyang threatened to launch four missiles towards the US island of Guam, which would cross above the region.

The September 15 launch took place less than two weeks after Pyongyang carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3, which led to fresh sanctions by the UN Security Council, including curbs on its imports of oil products and a ban on its textile exports. 

With IANS inputs