Seoul, Sep 14 (IANS): An Australian warship has been deployed for an operation to enforce UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, officials said on Saturday.

The Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Sydney destroyer was recently mobilised for Australia's Operation Argos aimed at enforcing the sanctions as part of the warship's deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, reports Yonhap news agency.

HMAS Sydney and its embarked MH-60R helicopter will monitor and deter illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods in the region, Australia's defence department said in a release.

"Australia is committed to enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea until it takes concrete steps towards denuclearisation," Vice Adm. Justin Jones, chief of joint operations at the Australian Defense Force, was quoted as saying.

Since 2018, Australia has deployed maritime patrol aircraft on 13 occasions and Navy vessels 12 times for the operation.