Island shelled as Koreas exchange artillery fire
Source: Agencies |
November 24, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire near their disputed sea border yesterday, killing at least two South Korean marines, setting dozens of buildings ablaze and sending civilians fleeing for shelter.
The skirmish began after Pyongyang warned Seoul to halt military drills in the area, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused, North Korea bombarded the small South Korean-held island of Yeonpyeong. It houses military installations and a small civilian population.
South Korea returned fire and dispatched fighter jets in response, and said there could be considerable North Korean casualties as troops unleashed intense retaliatory fire.
North Korea said its wealthy neighbor started the fight. "Despite our repeated warnings, South Korea fired dozens of shells from 1pm ... and we've taken strong military action immediately," its Korean Central News Agency said in a brief statement. The supreme military command in Pyongyang threatened more strikes if South Korea crossed their maritime border by "even 0.001 millimeter," according to KCNA.
Government officials in Seoul called the bombardments "inhumane atrocities" that violated the 1953 armistice halting the Korean War.
The exchange marked a sharp escalation of skirmishes that flare up along the disputed border from time to time, and come amid high tensions over North Korea's claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility.
Columns of thick black smoke could be seen rising from homes on the island in footage aired by YTN cable television. Screams and shouts filled the air as shells rained down on the island for about an hour.
"I thought I would die," Lee Chun-ok, 54, told reporters after being evacuated to the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul. "I was really, really terrified, and I'm still terrified."
She said she was watching TV when the shelling began, and a wall and door in her home suddenly collapsed.
The United States, which has more than 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, condemned the attack.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called on North Korea to "halt its belligerent action," and said the US is "firmly committed" to South Korea's defense, and to the "maintenance of regional peace and stability."
Yeonpyeong, famous for its crab industry and home to about 1,200 civilians as well as military installations, is west of the Korean mainland within sight of North Korean shores. There are about 30 other small islands nearby.
North Korea fired dozens of rounds of artillery in three separate barrages that began in mid-afternoon. South Korea returned fire with about 80 rounds, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said. The entire exchange lasted about an hour.
Two South Korean marines were killed and 16 injured, the joint chiefs said. Island residents escaped to some 20 shelters on the island and sporadic shelling ended after about an hour, according to the military.
The skirmish occurred a day after the South Korean military began holding drills in the area.
South Korean marines had been shooting artillery during those drills, but toward southern waters, away from North Korea, a military official said.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to "respond sternly" but to refrain from allowing the situation to escalate. Lee was convening an emergency security meeting, the official said.
The skirmish began after Pyongyang warned Seoul to halt military drills in the area, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused, North Korea bombarded the small South Korean-held island of Yeonpyeong. It houses military installations and a small civilian population.
South Korea returned fire and dispatched fighter jets in response, and said there could be considerable North Korean casualties as troops unleashed intense retaliatory fire.
North Korea said its wealthy neighbor started the fight. "Despite our repeated warnings, South Korea fired dozens of shells from 1pm ... and we've taken strong military action immediately," its Korean Central News Agency said in a brief statement. The supreme military command in Pyongyang threatened more strikes if South Korea crossed their maritime border by "even 0.001 millimeter," according to KCNA.
Government officials in Seoul called the bombardments "inhumane atrocities" that violated the 1953 armistice halting the Korean War.
The exchange marked a sharp escalation of skirmishes that flare up along the disputed border from time to time, and come amid high tensions over North Korea's claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility.
Columns of thick black smoke could be seen rising from homes on the island in footage aired by YTN cable television. Screams and shouts filled the air as shells rained down on the island for about an hour.
"I thought I would die," Lee Chun-ok, 54, told reporters after being evacuated to the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul. "I was really, really terrified, and I'm still terrified."
She said she was watching TV when the shelling began, and a wall and door in her home suddenly collapsed.
The United States, which has more than 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, condemned the attack.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called on North Korea to "halt its belligerent action," and said the US is "firmly committed" to South Korea's defense, and to the "maintenance of regional peace and stability."
Yeonpyeong, famous for its crab industry and home to about 1,200 civilians as well as military installations, is west of the Korean mainland within sight of North Korean shores. There are about 30 other small islands nearby.
North Korea fired dozens of rounds of artillery in three separate barrages that began in mid-afternoon. South Korea returned fire with about 80 rounds, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said. The entire exchange lasted about an hour.
Two South Korean marines were killed and 16 injured, the joint chiefs said. Island residents escaped to some 20 shelters on the island and sporadic shelling ended after about an hour, according to the military.
The skirmish occurred a day after the South Korean military began holding drills in the area.
South Korean marines had been shooting artillery during those drills, but toward southern waters, away from North Korea, a military official said.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to "respond sternly" but to refrain from allowing the situation to escalate. Lee was convening an emergency security meeting, the official said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
