North, South Korea exchange fire near disputed sea border

North, South Korea exchange fire near disputed sea border

2011-08-11 00:28:02 GMT+7 (ICT)

SEOUL (BNO NEWS) -- North and South Korean forces briefly exchanged fire on Wednesday near their disputed maritime border, the South's Yonhap News Agency reported. There were no casualties.

The report said South Korea fired three shots towards the disputed maritime border after one North Korean shell apparently fell in the area. A South Korean military official said the Navy heard North Korea fire three artillery shots toward the Northern Limit Line (NLL), as the maritime border is known, around 1 p.m. local time and then responded at around 2 p.m. local time with three warning shots.

"We estimated that one North Korean shell dropped near the NLL," the official said. "We haven't noticed any particular movements in the North Korean military but we're maintaining a defense posture."

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which is officially still at war, have been at critical since a North Korean torpedo fired from a midget submarine sank the ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 people. The attack in March 2010 left 46 people killed.

And months later, North Korean forces bombarded the disputed Yeonpyeong Island, prompting South Korea to return fire at North Korea. The artillery engagement from the North left two South Korean civilians killed while the South's return fire killed at least five people in North Korea.

The NLL was drawn up at the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-11