North Korea warns of 'annihilating' strike if attack

North Korea threatened all-out nuclear war on Monday if the country's weapons facilities are attacked by the United States.

Pyongyang's statement appears to be a response to rumors that the U.S. might attempt to destroy a North Korean test missile.

"The army and people of the DPRK are now in full preparedness to answer a pre-emptive attack with a relentless annihilating strike and a nuclear war with a mighty nuclear deterrent," a report in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.

Currently it is not known whether North Korea has the ability to carry out such threats, although most analysis is admittedly based on limited hard evidence.