North Korea has threatened to launch a series of retaliations on the US and South Korean intelligence agencies after an alleged assassination attempt on its leader, Kim Jong-Un.
The country’s military will begin "a series of more powerful anti-terrorism striking actions and mercilessly destroy the terrorists”, said an E nglish-language statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
It went on to accuse the two countries of trying to kill the North Korean dictator with “biochemical substances” during a parade in the country's capital Pyongyang, celebrating the Day of the Sun, which commemorates the birth of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-Sung.
The administration also claimed that the CIA bribed a North Korean citizen $40,000 (£32,000) to carry out the assassination.
Ri Byong Ho, the North Korea head of intelligence, said the suspect was a "very important person" and that "there have already been more than 80 planned terrorist attacks" that have been foiled.
In retaliation, North Korea is undertaking "counter-terrorism measures of justice," he added.
No proof has been provided to back up the claims.
The CIA have not yet commented on Pyongyang's allegations.
In what appears to be a separate incident, the North Korean government detained a US citizen over the weekend, on suspicion of acts against the state.
Kim Hak Song, an evangelical Christian missionary, worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the state news agency said.
If confirmed, it would make him the fourth US citizen to be held by the isolated country amid fierce diplomatic tensions with US over the North’s nuclear programme.
The country has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations.
