North Korea tests cluster bombs in latest ballistic missile launch

North Korea has tested cluster bombs in its latest launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, supervised by leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported Monday.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published the report of the launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile a day after South Korea’s military detected multiple short-range ballistic missiles launched toward the East Sea at around 6:10 a.m. from



North Korea’s Sinpho area.

The KCNA said the purpose of the test-launch was to evaluate the power of the “cluster bomb warhead and fragmentation mine warhead” fitted to the weapon system. 

Five missiles struck a target area near an island measuring about 13 hectares some 136 kilometres away with “very high density,” fully demonstrating their combat capability, the KCNA report said.