South Korea scrambles jets as North Korea sends drones over border

The South Korean army despatched surveillance plane into the North to {photograph} its army installations, a South Korean army official mentioned.

Seoul,UPDATED: Dec 26, 2022 18:39 IST

The South Korean army “operated assets to shoot down” the drones (Representational/AP)

By Reuters: Five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea on Monday and South Korea responded by scrambling jets and assault helicopters and opening fireplace to attempt to shoot down the North Korean plane, the South Korean army mentioned.

As a part of its response, the South Korean army additionally despatched surveillance plane into the North to {photograph} its army installations, a South Korean army official mentioned.

“This is a clear act of provocation by the North violating our airspace,” a South Korean official with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lee Seung-o, instructed a briefing.

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One of the 5 North Korean drones flew close to the South Korean capital, Seoul, and the others flew close to the west coast,

Lee mentioned the South Korean army “operated assets to shoot down” the drones.

He didn’t say if any drones had been shot down, however the Yonhap information company later mentioned South Korea’s army fired about 100 pictures however didn’t shoot any down. Lee mentioned South Korea initially fired “warning shots” when it first detected the drones.

One of the drones was recognized to have returned to North Korea whereas South Korea misplaced observe of the opposite 4, Yonhap reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

North Korea has no channel for media queries from South Korea and its state media made no point out of any drones.

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South Korean reconnaissance plane flew into the North to take images in motion akin to the North Korean drone flights, Lee mentioned, suggesting the North Korean drones have been additionally meant for reconnaissance.

South Korea tracked the drones crossing from North Korea over the so-called Military Demarcation Line between the 2 nations after detecting them within the skies of the western metropolis of Gimpo at round 10:25 am (0125 GMT), the army mentioned earlier.

The drones are the primary confirmed to have come from the remoted neighbour since 2017, when a North Korean drone believed to be on a spy mission crashed and was discovered on a mountain close to the border.

In 2014, a North Korean drone was found on a South Korean border island.

Those drones have been thought of crude plane mounted with cameras.

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Lee mentioned the North Korean drones on Monday have been small, of about two metres, however he gave no additional particulars together with what gear, if any, they have been carrying.

Relations between North Korea and US ally South Korea have been poor for many years however have just lately been rising much more tense after a brand new, conservative authorities took over in South Korea and North Korea presses on with its nuclear and missile programmes.

South Korea and U.S. forces have responded to a file variety of North Korean missile assessments this yr with stepped-up army workout routines. North Korea sees such workout routines as preparations for an invasion.

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Those have been met with extra assessments and drills from North Korea, together with uncommon warplane sorties close to the border.

South Korea’s transport ministry mentioned earlier that flights departing from its Incheon and Gimpo airports have been suspended following a request from the army.

The suspension started at 1:08 p.m. (0408 GMT) at Gimpo and at 1:22 p.m. at Incheon and lasted for about an hour earlier than flight departures resumed at round 2:10 p.m., a ministry official instructed Reuters.

While scrambling to counter the drones, a South Korean KA-1 mild assault plane crashed shortly after taking off from its base at Wonju within the nation’s east, a defence ministry official mentioned. Its two pilots have been in a position to escape earlier than the crash and are within the hospital.

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Published On:

Dec 26, 2022