NORTH KOREA vowed to fight fire with fire yesterday in the event of a US naval task force in waters off the Korean peninsula launching military action against its territory.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman pledged a tough response to any use of force that might follow Washington’s decision to send the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group to the region.

“We will hold the US wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions,” he stressed.