NORTH Korea fired artillery shells onto a South Korean border island today, causing casualties and prompting an exchange of fire with southern troops, officials and reports said.
The firing came after North Korea's disclosure of an apparently operational uranium enrichment program - a second potential way of building a nuclear bomb - which is causing serious alarm for the United States and its allies.
Some 50 North Korean shells landed on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong near the tense Yellow Sea border, causing some injuries and damage to dozens of houses, YTN television reported.
Four South Korean soldiers were wounded by the North Korean artillery barrage, the Yonhap news agency said.
The South Korean military went on its highest state of alert, the defence ministry said, and YTN reported that South Korean air force jets were scrambled to the island.
A ministry spokesman earlier said: "A North Korean artillery unit staged an illegal firing provocation at 2.34pm and South Korean troops fired back immediately in self defence."
One island resident, Lee Jong-Sik, told YTN: "At least 10 houses are burning. I can't see clearly for the smoke. The hillsides are also on fire.
"We were told by loudspeakers to flee our homes."
TV footage showed huge plumes of smoke rising from the island.
Tensions on the divided peninsula have been acute since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which Seoul says was the result of a North Korean torpedo attack. Pyongyang has angrily rejected the charge.
1 comments:
fuck to united states
Post a Comment