Seoul, Rabi'I 23, 1434, Feb 4, 2013, SPA - South Korean and U.S. troops began naval drills Monday in a show of force partly directed at North Korea amid signs that Pyongyang will soon carry out a threat to conduct its third atomic test. Pyongyang conducted two previous nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009. On Monday, South Korean and U.S. militaries kicked off three-day exercises off the Korean Peninsula's east coast that involve live-fire exercises, naval maneuvers and submarine detection drills, according to a report of the Associated Press. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the maneuvers are part of regular joint military training that the allies had scheduled before the latest nuclear tensions began. --SPA 11:49 LOCAL TIME 08:49 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1074970