Updated on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 00:00 IST

Seoul, Jan 31: Stalinist North Korea accused the United States of carrying out more than 190 spy missions in January using reconnaissance planes as part of war preparations.

Quoting unnamed military sources, the official Korean Central News Agency said today that US espionage planes such as U-2S, RC-135S and E-3S flew over the inter-Korean border "to spy on the important targets" of North Korea.

"The above-said aerial espionage ... Clearly shows how frantic the US imperialists have become in the moves to stifle the DPRK (North Korea) by force of arms and ... To launch a war of aggression against other countries," the agency said in a dispatch monitored here.

North Korea, which has been at loggerheads with the US over its nuclear weapons drive, has accused Washington of preparing to launch a strike against Pyongyang. The United States has denied any intention of starting a war.

Six-way talks, aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons drive, have stalled since negotiations ended in a stalemate in November.

North Korea, protesting US sanctions against Pyongyang for alleged dollar counterfeiting and money laundering, has boycotted the talks with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

Bureau Report