After N Korea threat,South,US raise military alert level

A day after North Korea warned of a possible attack against the South,the US and South Korea ordered their forces here to their highest alert for three years...

A day after North Korea warned of a possible attack against the South,the US and South Korea ordered their forces here to their highest alert for three years,increasing surveillance flights and satellite reconnaissance to counter what officials termed a grave threat.

The move was the latest sign of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula after North Korea conducted its second nuclear test on Monday,sparking a confrontation with South Korea and the international community that has built into ever more bellicose rhetoric. North Korea reinforced its menacing language by test-firing six short-range missiles earlier in the week.

The South Korean Defence Ministry said allied troops,including,28,000 US soldiers based in South Korea,raised their Watch Condition,or Watchcon,to the second-highest level from Watchcon 3 to Watchcon 2.

Story continues below this ad

South Korea has put its military on such a high level of alert only five times since hostilities in the three-year Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953,most recently when North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006.

The upgraded alert provides for a significant increase in the use of reconnaissance planes and spy satellites,as well as a more vigorous gathering and analysis of electronic signals from the North,ministry officials said.