North Korea fires missile barrage toward the sea as tensions with South rise

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday launched an unidentified projectile off its east coast, South Korea's military said, the latest in a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang in recent months.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details, including the type of weapon fired.

The launch comes amid rising animosity between the two Koreas over last month’s land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul has accused North Korea of planting mines south of the military demarcation line that caused the Sept. 21 blasts , but Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if provoked.

Last week, North Korea said it would resume front-line propaganda broadcasts and deploy new weapons systems along the heavily armed border with South Korea. South Korea later proposed talks on clarifying the borderline to prevent accidental clashes, but North Korea hasn't responded.

Thursday's launch also comes five days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China via a newly inaugurated bridge connecting the two countries.