Koreas trade shells in new border spat
Source: Agencies |
August 11, 2011, Thursday
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NORTH Korea test-fired artillery shells into waters near a disputed border yesterday, provoking a South Korean volley of warning shots and raising tensions between the countries just as they had restarted talks.
South Korean military officials said it appeared North Korea was conducting drills off the west coast of the divided peninsula, but that some of their shells had landed close to the maritime border. South Korea responded with verbal warnings and tit-for-tat warning shots of its own.
In the first incident, North Korea fired three shots about 1:00pm local time, and South Korea returned three artillery rounds toward the same area about an hour later. At dusk, North Korea fired three more shots, triggering further return fire from South Korea, a military official said.
South Korea's response-in-kind came after the government was heavily criticized for failing to react with force last year when North Korea shelled one of its islands, Yeonpyeong, in the same area. Four people were killed, including two civilians. The attack on the island was the first on civilians since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
A South Korean military official said of the midday incident: "It is our assessment that it (the shelling) was part of a training exercise by North Korea. Three shots were heard. Our assessment is one shell landed near the Northern Limit Line (a disputed maritime border). Accordingly we fired three shots back."
He said there was no unusual activity in North Korea that would indicate imminent aggression.
Later another military official said a similar incident occurred about 8:00pm, when North Korea fired three more shells, prompting South Korea to fire more warning shots in return. There was no further action, he said.
Fishing boats in the vicinity were called to port and Yeonpyeong residents took to emergency shelters, media reports said.
South Korean military officials said it was unclear whether any of North Korea's shells landed south of the NLL, a line drawn by the US military at the end of the Korean War.
South Korean military officials said it appeared North Korea was conducting drills off the west coast of the divided peninsula, but that some of their shells had landed close to the maritime border. South Korea responded with verbal warnings and tit-for-tat warning shots of its own.
In the first incident, North Korea fired three shots about 1:00pm local time, and South Korea returned three artillery rounds toward the same area about an hour later. At dusk, North Korea fired three more shots, triggering further return fire from South Korea, a military official said.
South Korea's response-in-kind came after the government was heavily criticized for failing to react with force last year when North Korea shelled one of its islands, Yeonpyeong, in the same area. Four people were killed, including two civilians. The attack on the island was the first on civilians since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
A South Korean military official said of the midday incident: "It is our assessment that it (the shelling) was part of a training exercise by North Korea. Three shots were heard. Our assessment is one shell landed near the Northern Limit Line (a disputed maritime border). Accordingly we fired three shots back."
He said there was no unusual activity in North Korea that would indicate imminent aggression.
Later another military official said a similar incident occurred about 8:00pm, when North Korea fired three more shells, prompting South Korea to fire more warning shots in return. There was no further action, he said.
Fishing boats in the vicinity were called to port and Yeonpyeong residents took to emergency shelters, media reports said.
South Korean military officials said it was unclear whether any of North Korea's shells landed south of the NLL, a line drawn by the US military at the end of the Korean War.
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