N. Korea: United States will be accountable for igniting a war

North Korea strongly denounced the annual military drills between the United States and South Korea two days after its leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to get ready to use nuclear weapons at any time.

A statement read on the North’s state-controlled KRT television station, threatened retaliation.

“We have cutting-edge attack methods to beat up the U.S. mainland at anytime and from anywhere,” a KRT news anchor read.

Pyongyang regularly protests the drills, which they say are rehearsals for an impending war.

“If a war breaks out on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. will be held accountable for igniting the war by mobilizing their massive strategic means and war hardware here, regardless of who mounted a preemptive attack,” the statement read.

However, the North, known for belligerent rhetoric, has previously threatened preemptive attacks on its enemies, including the South and the United States.

South Korea’s defence ministry said Thursday, the North launched several projectiles off its coast into the sea, up to 150 km (90 miles) away, an apparent response to the latest U.N. sanctions.

Every year, South Korean forces and their American counterparts take part in the drill exercises and according to the South Korean Yonhap news agency, some 300,000 South Korean forces and 15,000 of their American counterparts are expected to participate.

South Korea, US begin talks on anti-missile system: “North Korea has continued its nuclear tests and long-rang… https://t.co/YlbwI1rKnV

— VOFN South Korea (@vofnskorea) March 6, 2016