ANKARA 

The leader of North Korea asked his armed forces to prepare for war with the US as he blamed Washington for the current tension on the Korean peninsula, state-run media said Thursday. 

During the second day of the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) on Wednesday, Kim Jong-un said the US is engaged in an "unprecedented" confrontation against North Korea.

Kim “set forth the militant tasks for the People’s Army and the munitions industry, nuclear weapons and civil defense sectors to further accelerate the war preparations," the Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim.

He said the political and military situation has reached an extreme because of anti-North Korea moves by the US.

Kim also vowed to extend relations of strategic cooperation with the "anti-imperialist independent countries."

Last week, Kim warned that his country "will not hesitate" to launch a nuclear attack if an "enemy" provokes it with nukes.

Pyongyang recently test-launched a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile fueled by solid propellants, which raised tension in the region.  

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid