South Korean authorities reported Monday that several North Korean drones have crossed the border and deployed aircraft and helicopters to shoot them down, the first such incident since 2017.
South Korean Army General Staff sources have indicated that Seoul has detected around 10:25 a.m. (local time) multiple «unidentified objects» in areas of Gyeonggi province and added that the devices crossed the Military Demarcation Line.
He stressed that they have been located in Gimpo, Ganghwa and Paju, causing a temporary suspension of civilian flights during military operations to shoot them down, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. It is not known at this time whether the drones were carrying explosives.
These sources stressed that Seoul has proceeded to issue warning shots and sent planes and helicopters to the area. As part of Seoul’s response, a KA-1 light aircraft crashed in Hoengseong County, 140 kilometers east of the capital, although the two pilots managed to eject and were unharmed.
«We have identified them with our own eyes,» stressed these sources, who emphasized that «the operation is still underway against the aircraft.» North Korea has not yet commented on the incident.
Following this, the director of operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lee Seung O, has stressed that «it is a clear provocation by North Korea, which has broken into our airspace». «Our army will respond comprehensively and firmly to these provocations,» he said.
According to reports reported by Yonhap, South Korean forces have sent drones to the border area, some of which have entered North Korean territory to carry out surveillance operations, including photography of «key enemy military facilities.»
The event is the first of its kind since 2017, although between 2014 and 2017 Seoul denounced numerous drone overflight operations by North Korea and warned of the military threat posed by these devices, both to carry out attacks and in espionage operations.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile firings, including two short-range missiles launched during the day on Friday.
U.S. and South Korean officials agreed last week to conduct «realistic» joint military exercises, especially in the face of missile or nuclear attack scenarios by North Korea. The South Korean Defense Ministry stressed that the parties also plan to expand their joint exercises next year following a meeting between senior defense officials from both countries.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
