Seoul, Jan 7 (EFE).- North Korea carried out artillery firing for the third consecutive day on Sunday near the maritime border with the South, the military said.
Artillery shots were directed towards waters north of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, according to a South Korean military source cited by the local Yonhap news agency.
The source said the projectiles did not breach the maritime boundary between the two countries.
The live-fire exercises began at 4 p.m. local time, and while no damage was reported, local authorities have advised residents of the island and territories near the maritime boundary to exercise caution when outdoors.
The military source noted that South Korean troops maintained their state of readiness in response to North Korean maneuvers, and as of now, there are no plans to engage in similar exercises in retaliation.
North Korea launched over 200 artillery rounds into the same area on Friday, leading South Korean authorities to evacuate two islands and respond with live-fire drills.
On Saturday, the South Korean military said North Korea’s ongoing live-fire exercises along the maritime divide “pose a threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and escalate tensions.”
In response to the continued provocations, the South Korean army urged North Korea to “immediately stop” these exercises and has warned of taking retaliatory action if South Korean citizens were endangered.
The escalating tension highlights the increasing instability in the region after the North Korean regime announced in November the suspension of compliance with a 2018 bilateral military agreement, which, among other provisions, prohibited live-fire exercises.
The islands lay near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a disputed maritime border between the two Koreas in the Yellow Sea (referred to as the West Sea by both South Korea and North Korea).
The NLL has been the site of numerous clashes over the past 25 years, resulting in approximately 100 casualties on both sides, mainly military personnel.
The disputed maritime zone was drawn by the United Nations to prevent clashes after the Korean War armistice in 1953. EFE
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