North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward Japan on Monday in its second weapons test in three days that drew quick condemnation from its rivals and prompted Tokyo to request an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, writes apnews.com.

The weapons firings follow an intercontinental ballistic missile launch Saturday and North Korea’s threats to take an unprecedentedly strong response to U.S.-South Korean military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. Some experts say North Korea is pushing for more powerful weapons arsenals that it believes would increase leverage in potential negotiations with the United States.

South Korea’s military said it detected the two missile launches Monday morning from a western coastal town, just north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. Japan said both missiles landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and that no damage involving aircraft and vessels in the area was reported.

According to Japanese and South Korean assessments, the North Korean missiles flew at a maximum altitude of 50-100 kilometers (30-60 miles) and a distance of 340-400 kilometers (210-250 miles).