South Korea and the United States will start on Sunday another round of joint naval drills off the west coast of the Korean peninsula, the second in a series of planned combined military maneuvers.

As part of the latest response to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s alleged torpedo attack on a South Korean warship in March, the two allies are set to stage five-day anti-submarine exercises in waters near a tense maritime border between the two Koreas.

About ten vessels, including USS Curtis Wilbur and USS Fitzgerald, will be mobilized for the latest round of drills that military officials said are meant to "send a clear message of deterrence" to Pyongyang.

In July, the two allies held massive naval and air exercises together in waters east of the divided peninsula, which involved 20 ships and submarines, 200 aircraft and some 8,000 troops.

The DPRK, denying its responsibility for the suspected attack, condemned the drills as preparation for invasion and threatened a counteraction.