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Japan's defense ministry rescinds order to intercept DPRK missiles

Xinhua, June 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Japan's Defense Ministry indicated Thursday that it has rescinded an order initially given for forces here to make preparations to intercept a ballistic missile if it were potentially launched from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and headed towards Japanese territory.

Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani was quoted on Thursday as saying that he had provisionally ordered the redeployment of missile interceptors earlier this week as their were concerns the DPRK might be gearing up for another possible launch.

Nakatani cancelled the order, however, on intelligence suggesting that the current threat level to Japan had been significantly lowered, sources close to the ministry said Thursday.

The ministry's Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air guided interceptors have been withdrawn from the defense ministry's compound in central Tokyo and from other military locations in and around Tokyo.

"We will continue to prepare for any situation and work to gather and analyze information and monitor the situation in order to protect the lives and property of the people," Nakatani told a press briefing at the defense ministry, although declined to officially comment as to whether he had officially given the order to cancel the missile interception preparations. Endit