N.Korea Fires Barrage of Cruise Missiles from Cliff

North Korea fired a barrage of cruise missiles from a coastal cliff into the East Sea on Wednesday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff here.

The missiles were fired from Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province three days after an explosion test of a short-range ballistic missile tipped with a mock nuclear warhead.

The launches coincided with massive joint South Korea-U.S. military drills that end after 11 days on Thursday. 

The cruise missiles were fired around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday and flew around 2,000 km at a low altitude over the East Sea. 

"Initial analysis shows that they could be long-range strategic cruise missiles, which are an improved version of the KN-27 missile," a military source here said.

They were fired from Kugyongdae, a cliff that looks like a turtle shell and is a noted beauty spot. 

Lately the North has also launched missiles from a train, a submarine, a reservoir, a golf course lake and a mountain.