Japan issues order to shoot down N. Korean missile

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's defence minister on Friday issued an order to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens the nation's territory, Jiji Press news agency said.

Japan has readied a surface-to-air missile defence system and is putting its armed forces on standby ahead of a planned North Korean missile launch this month. Tokyo is also deploying Aegis warships in neighbouring waters.

Defence Minister Satoshi Morimoto issued an advance order to Japanese forces to shoot down the rocket or its parts if it looks set to fall on Japanese territory, according to the news agency.

Immediate confirmation of the report was not available.