North Korea, which also fired a new unidentified ballistic missile on Thursday, accuses the South of “provocation” at the border.
A dozen North Korean fighter jets flew over an area near the border with South Korea on Thursday (October 13th), which in turn sent aircraft, according to the Yonhap news agency. The incident, the second in a week involving fighter jets, comes amid growing military tensions on the peninsula, as the North Korea recently carried out a series of missile launchesincluding the last Thursday.
According to the South Korean General Staff, quoted by the Yonhap agency, ten fighter jets were detected flying 25 kilometers north of the border between the two states between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 12:20 a.m. Friday local time. North Korean planes crossed a “recognition line”, triggering an automatic response from the South, according to the same source. Seoul then sent fighter jets, including F-35As, according to the general staff, Yonhap added.
A series of ballistic missile firings
This episode comes shortly after the test of two long-range strategic cruise missiles by Pyongyang on Wednesday, announced by the official North Korean press, which specifies that these tests were supervised by the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Thursday, Korea of the North fired a new unidentified ballistic missile, according to the South Korean news agency. Pyongyang described its recent missile tests as nuclear tactical exercises, simulating strikes on airports and military installations in South Korea.
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The firing of two cruise missiles on Wednesday aims to enhance the combat effectiveness of these weapons which have been “deployed in units of the Korean People’s Army for the operation of tactical nuclear weapons”, North Korea’s official KCNA news agency reported on Thursday. These two projectiles, which flew at much lower altitudes than ballistic missiles, traveled 2,000 kilometers over the Yellow Sea before reaching their target, KCNA said.
“Provocative actions” of the South, according to the North
North Korea finally accused Seoul on Friday (Thursday evening in France) of engaging in “provocative actionsnear their common border, accusing the South Korean military ofincite military tension,” state media reported.
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A North Korean military spokesman said the South Korean military carried out Thursday “artillery fire for about ten hours near the forward defense area of the Korean People’s Army Fifth Corps“, According to a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. The Korean People’s Armytook strong military countermeasures” in response to this “provocative action“, According to the press release.
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