NEW YORK, January 29. /TASS/. The US authorities came to a conclusion that North Korea might have really attempted testing some components of a hydrogen bomb early this month, according to CNN reports.
North Korea announced on January 6 that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. Pyongyang said in a statement that the test had been carried out "exclusively for the purposes of self-defense for the reliable protection of the country’s sovereignty and the nation’s vital rights amid the growing nuclear blackmail and threats from the US-led forces alien to North Korea."
"A U.S. official directly familiar with the latest U.S. assessment said there may have been a partial, failed test of some type of components associated with a hydrogen bomb," CNN reported referring to an unnamed source.
"The assessment comes after careful examination of the latest intelligence analysis of the test data. But the official emphasized there is no final conclusion," CNN reported. "That analysis shows the test was conducted more than two times deeper underground than originally assessed at a depth consistent with what might be needed for a hydrogen bomb."
In recent years, North Korea has held three nuclear tests: in 2006, 2009 and 2013. In response, the UN Security Council imposed new or tightened existing sanctions against Pyongyang.
Experts say North Korea may provide its "nuclear deterrence forces" with about a hundred of nuclear bombs already by 2020.