South Korean soldiers fire warning shots after North Korean troops

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals’ land border Tuesday for the second time this month. South Korea said the army.

South Korea’s military has observed increased North Korean construction activities along its heavily armed border to install suspected anti-tank barriers, reinforce roads and lay landmines. Work continued without interruption despite several mine explosions that killed or injured an unknown number of North Korean soldiers, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, approximately 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers, while engaged in unspecified construction work on the northern side of the border, briefly crossed the military demarcation line that divides the country at 8:30 a.m. Korean soldiers withdrew after the South broadcast warnings and fired warning shots, and the South Korean military spotted no suspicious activity afterward.

The South too fired warning shots on June 11 after another group of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the MDL. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday’s incident occurred in another area along the central front line. He added that he did not believe North Korean soldiers intentionally crossed the border and that the North did not retaliate.

The South Korean military said the border area was dense with overgrown trees and plants that may have obscured the visibility of North Korean soldiers and pushed them across the border.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said they suspect North Korea is expanding its border construction activities, which began around April and may be aimed at making it more difficult for civilians or soldiers to do so. North Koreans. fault to the south as Pyongyang’s leaders attempt to strengthen their control over its population.

“Our military closely monitors North Korean military activities in the frontline area while guarding against accidental situations,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The border intrusions come as tensions rise between the war-divided rivals, who have in recent weeks engaged in armed conflict. Cold War-style psychological warfare and made clear that they were no longer bound by their historic 2018 military agreement aimed at reducing tensions.

The Koreas’ heavily fortified border, called the demilitarized zone, has at times been the scene of bloodshed and violent clashes between the rivals. The Military Demarcation Line marks the border between the two Koreas inside the DMZ, which is 248 kilometers (154 miles) long and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide. The area is dotted with around 2 million mines and also guarded by barbed wire, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. It is a legacy of the Korean War of 1950 to 1953, which ended in an armistice and not a peace treaty.