(THAAD) anti-missile system operational in South Korea

The US military on Tuesday said its controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system, which was deployed last week in South Korea, is now up and operational. The THAAD system "is operational and has the ability to intercept North Korean missiles and defend the Republic of Korea", a spokesman for US Forces Korea said in a statement. THAAD was deployed to South Korea by the US in response to North Korea's increased missile and nuclear tests, but the defence system has drawn sharp opposition from China and Russia as their territories are within the system's range, CNN reported. China again expressed its displeasure on Tuesday, urging both sides to "stop the deployment immediately". AGENCIES