South Korea spotted North Korean drones around 03:25 GMT over the western city of Gimpo
South Korean warplanes and attack helicopters took off today and the South Korean armed forces fired warning shots after North Korean drones violated South Korean airspace, the South Korean military said.
THE South Korea spotted the North Korean drones around 10:25 a.m. (03:25 Greek time) over the western city Gibboaccording to the same source.
A South Korean military official said it was a clear provocation on its part North Korea.
The drones are the first confirmed to have crossed into South Korea from the reclusive northern neighbor since 2017, when a North Korean drone believed to be on a spying mission crashed and was found in a mountainous area near the border. .
In 2014, a North Korean drone was also found on a South Korean border island.
At least one North Korean drone went further and flew over the South Korean capital Seoul, news agency News1 reported, citing an unnamed military official.
South Korea’s armed forces said they attempted to shoot down the drones, which it is unclear if they were carrying weapons. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that none of them were shot down.
South Korea’s Ministry of Transport had earlier announced that flight departures from Incheon and Gibo airports had been suspended following a request from the armed forces.
The suspension of flights began at 1:08 p.m. (06:08 Greek time) in Gimbo and at 1:22 p.m. in Idson and lasted about an hour, with flights resuming around 2:10 p.m., a ministry official told Reuters.
Of the planes that took off to counter the drones, a South Korean KA-1 light attack plane crashed shortly after taking off from its base in Wonju, in the eastern part of the country, a defense ministry official said. Its two pilots were rescued and are being treated.
South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean drone incursion. Several North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles invaded our airspace. One of the warplanes, a KA-1 light attack aircraft, later crashed in Hoengseong County. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. pic.twitter.com/0SBuQEIHeh
— hurriyatpk (@hurriyatpk1) December 26, 2022
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