4 US surveillance planes fly over Korean Peninsula on same day

A US maritime patrol plane made a late-night flight over the Korean Peninsula, only hours after three American surveillance aircraft flew above the same area, it was reported on Friday.

According to Aircraft Spots, an aviation tracker, a P-3C plane of the US Navy flew over the peninsula at around 11 p.m. on Thursday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Earlier on Thursday, a RC-135S Cobra Ball plane was presumed to have carried out a surveillance mission over South Korea's East Sea after taking off from the Japanese territory of Okinawa.

An RC-135S aircraft and E-8C plane or JSTARS were also spotted flying in the same route later in the day, the aviation tracker said.

Thursday's flights came after the US flew four spy planes at the same time over the Peninsula earlier this week in an unusual move to intensify its surveillance on North Korea amid concerns that Pyongyang could test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The North has threatened to take a "new way" if the US does not show flexibility in the deadlocked negotiations by Pyongyang's self-imposed year-end deadline.

With the deadline drawing closer, the North earlier said that it was entirely up to Washington what "Christmas gift" it wants to get, spawning speculation that it might be preparing a major provocation during the holiday season this week.IANS