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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

North Korea slams South Korea’s artillery fire near border as 'provocation'

"We strictly warn the enemy side against such military moves near the demarcation line," a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said

© EPA-EFE/ YONHAP

SEOUL, March 7. /TASS/. The armed forces of the Republic of Korea carried out artillery firing near the border with North Korea on Tuesday, and Pyongyang considers these actions a provocation, the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said in a statement.

"The enemy committed an artillery provocation this morning, firing about 40 shells at a range in Paju city in the Gyeonggi province on the western front," the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Korean Central Telegraph Agency’s (KCNA) General Staff statement.

"This is a serious provocation which involved armed forces. It further escalates the current situation. We strictly warn the enemy side against such military moves near the demarcation line," a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said.

The spokesman added that immediately after shots were fired on the South Korean territory, North Korean artillery men were ordered to maintain fire readiness and monitor the actions of the "enemy." The North Korean military also took measures to strengthen surveillance and anti-aircraft defense.

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Situation on the Korean Peninsula

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