North Korea's state media says that the country conducted long-range strike drills with defensive units at its forward and western fronts on Thursday.

The Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un learned about a plan to test various long-range strike capabilities and gave the order to start the drill. 

Kim reportedly expressed satisfaction over the drill and stressed that a country's peace and security is guaranteed by a strong physical power that can defend its sovereignty. 

KCNA said Kim also set forth "important tasks"for further increasing the strike abilities of his country’s defense units.

On Thursday, North Korea fired what are presumed to be two short-range missiles from a base northwest of Pyongyang towards the East Sea. The firing came just five days after it launched multiple projectiles off its east coast.

[Photo : YONHAP News]