TOKYO - North Korea has test-fired three missiles which landed in the Sea of Japan minutes later according to Japanese media report. The first missile was launched at 03:32 Japan Standard Time (18:32 UTC) and impact was into the sea, near the the Japanese mainland, according to NHK TV. Officials were quoted as saying that one may be the long-range Taepodong 2 ballistic missile U.S. officials have warned about but apparently failed 40 seconds after being launched.

The Taepodong-2 has a range of up to 6,000 km or 3,730 miles, putting parts of the United States (such as Alaska) within striking distance of the missile.

Two of the missiles were launched from a site other than the one intelligence officials have watched for weeks ahead of a possible long-range missile test, a senior United States State Department official said. Two senior U.S. State Department officials said on Tuesday that fuel trucks had departed the site where the long-range missile (AKA Taepodong-2) sits on a launching pad, indicating that a test may occur in the near future.

The North Korean removal of the fuel trucks and other auxiliary equipment, (for the missile), meant the North Koreans may have finished fueling the missile, said the officials, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the information. Should the North Koreans have completed the fueling “all they would need to do now is press the button,” one source said.

A commentary published by North Korea’s official news agency earlier this week said Pyongyang will respond with an “annihilating” strike with nuclear weapons if it is attacked.