North Korea has test-fired four strategic cruise missiles in a drill aimed at showcasing its nuclear counterattack capabilities against hostile forces, state media reported on Friday.

The exercise involved a strategic cruise missile unit of the Korean People's Army, which fired the four "Hwasal-2" missiles in the area of Kim Chaek City, North Hamgyong Province, towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to the state news agency KCNA.

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The missiles hit a preset target after traveling for over 10,000 seconds along a 2000km-long elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbit, KCNA reported. The exercise demonstrated "the war posture of the DPRK nuclear combat force bolstering up in every way its deadly nuclear counterattack capability against the hostile forces," it said.

The drills were not detected by South Korea or Japan, which often announce North Korean missile launches. The United States and South Korea conducted a simulated exercise focused on the possibility of North Korea using a nuclear weapon, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Despite international sanctions, North Korea has continued to develop and mass-produce new missiles. The country's recent missile launches, including an intercontinental ballistic missile test last Saturday, have been reported by state media as drills designed to improve the troops' operational capabilities.

However, some analysts believe that these launches could be considered missile exercising rather than developmental testing, as the country could test-fire ICBMs on a lower, longer trajectory and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year to perfect its weapons capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials.

The international community has condemned North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and the United Nations Security Council has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions in an effort to deter the country from pursuing these activities.

(Edited by : Soham Shetty)