US within our rocket strike range, says North Korea

Pyongyang, Oct 9:

said on Tuesday that the US mainland is within the reach of its strategic rocket forces,

(state news agency of North Korea) reported. A source in the National Defence Commission of North Korea said that the country was equipped with strategic rocket forces that can target

, Japan and Guam, besides the US, a report in Chinese state news agency

said.

The defence commission said North Korea was ready to counter any nuclear attack from the US and its allies with its own nuclear weapons. "Nuclear for nuclear, missile for missile," it said.

Criticising Washington's plan to lay a strategic siege network to the Asian continent, sources in the commission said that Pyongyang was ready to show to the world the true bitterness of a war, which has never been seen.

North Korea's announcement came after South Korea said on Sunday that it was planning to develop ballistic missiles with a range of 800 km under a revised pact with the US. The missiles, which would cover the entire Korean peninsula, would be developed as part of Seoul's response to perceived missile threats from Pyongyang.

Seoul was, however, criticised for its missile programme which contradicted its commitment as a member of Missile Technology Control Regime, the global arms control agreement which looks to curb the spread of unmanned delivery systems that have potential to deliver weapons of mass destruction. Washington, however, defended South Korea's plan to defend long-range missiles.

OneIndia News