Jan 5, 2024 at 6:37 AM Update: 6 minutes ago
Residents of two South Korean islands were evacuated to bomb shelters on Friday after North Korea fired about 200 artillery shells into surrounding waters.
The islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong, which are located on the west coast and close to the North Korean mainland, were shelled between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (local time), the South Korean Ministry of Defense said.
It was only around noon that residents were asked to take refuge in the island’s bomb shelters. According to military authorities, no injuries were reported and no damage was reported. Yeonpyeong local authorities called the evacuation “preventive.”
The shells landed north of the maritime border between the two countries, which is just above Yeonpyeong. The South Korean military and the US military have been monitoring the movements of the projectiles.
South Korean authorities call it a “provocation that escalates tension and threatens peace.” South Korea warns of “corresponding measures” in response to the neighboring country’s actions.
In 2010, four people were killed in a North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong. The relationship between the two countries has reached a low point. North Korea has been conducting various missile tests for some time now.
Image: AFP
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2024-01-05 07:46:47
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