US: A local official in Guam said it would take 14 minutes for missiles fired from North Korea to reach the US territory.
Jenna Gaminde, spokeswoman for Guam Homeland Security, told the Pacific Daily News if North Korea fired missiles at Guam, 15 All-Hazards Alert Warning System sirens would sound to warn residents.
"Our office will be notified from the military and will utilize all forms of mass communication to get the message out to the public," Gaminde said. "If you hear sirens, tune into local media — radio, print, television — for further instructions."
North Korea threatened to strike the waters near Guam, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, on Tuesday following the U.N. Security Council's unanimous vote Saturday to sanction the hermit kingdom. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attempted to downplay the threat Wednesday, telling reporters "Americans should sleep well at night." But North Korea continued to escalate its threat when the rogue regime said Thursday it is considering launching several ballistic missiles toward Guam, which is home to a major military base, 7,000 US military personnel, and 160,000 residents. The plan to fire four Hwasong-12 missiles will need to be approved by Kim Jong Un, the Associated Press reported.
If given the go-ahead, the missiles from North Korea would fly over Japan and travel 1,065 seconds before hitting the waters 19 to 25 miles from Guam. According to the Pacific Daily News, local and federal officials haven't elevated the threat level, and operations are continuing as normal.
"We always maintain a high state of readiness. We're maintaining normal operations," said Greg Kuntz, acting public affairs director of Joint Region Marianas. - WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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