Seoul: South Korea's military on Thursday fired
thousands of shells during a live-fire artillery drill near
the tense Yellow Sea border with North Korea, the defence
ministry said.
Troops fired more than 5,000 rounds from K-9
self-propelled guns, Vulcan cannon and other artillery during
the two-hour morning exercise, a ministry spokesman said.
North Korea used a similar live-fire drill last November
as the pretext for its bombardment of Yeonpyeong island near
the border, which killed two South Korean Marines and two
civilians.
"This is a regular drill aimed at strengthening military
preparedness in our seas and improving the Marines' shooting
skills," Yonhap news agency quoted one military official as
saying.
Thousands of Marines guard islands near the disputed
border, which was the scene of deadly naval clashes in 1999,
2002 and November 2009.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, October 06, 2011, 16:01