North Korea staged on Friday artillery drill near the South Korean border. It also warned that the upcoming US-Soth Korea joint naval drill on weekend is bringing the Korean Peninsula closer to war.
Tensions became higher on the Korean Peninsula Friday, with North Korea staged an artillery firing drill near the South Korean border, warning that the upcoming US-South Korean naval exercises at the weekend would bring the war closer.
A defense ministry spokesman told AFP explosions were heard several times between noon and 3 pm (0300-0600 GMT) and appeared to have come from the North.
"We assume North Korea carried out firing exercises," he said.
A military source quoted by YTN television said there were about 20 shells which apparently landed on the North's side.
The firing sent residents of Yeonpyeong Island scrambling for air raid shelters, but Seoul said it appeared to be an exercise and that no shells landed on its territory.
For its part, the North criticized "the US imperialists and south Korean puppet war-like forces" for what it called an exercise in "saber-rattling".
"The situation on the Korean peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again the war exercises targeted against the (North)," its official news agency said.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island, triggering an exchange of fire as southern armed forces went on their highest state of alert.
The explosions that shattered the calm of the remote Yeonpyeong Island killed two South Korean marines and two civilians, wounded 18 others, left 22 buildings in charred ruins and sent hundreds of terrified residents fleeing to the mainland.
South Korea's government convened in an underground war room and air force jets were reportedly scrambled to the Yellow Sea island.
A US aircraft carrier battle group was heading for a US-South Korea joint naval drill in the Yellow Sea for the four-day drill starting Sunday, a show of force designed to deter the North after Tuesday's strike rang alarm bells worldwide.
A defense ministry spokesman told AFP explosions were heard several times between noon and 3 pm (0300-0600 GMT) and appeared to have come from the North.
"We assume North Korea carried out firing exercises," he said.
A military source quoted by YTN television said there were about 20 shells which apparently landed on the North's side.
The firing sent residents of Yeonpyeong Island scrambling for air raid shelters, but Seoul said it appeared to be an exercise and that no shells landed on its territory.
For its part, the North criticized "the US imperialists and south Korean puppet war-like forces" for what it called an exercise in "saber-rattling".
"The situation on the Korean peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again the war exercises targeted against the (North)," its official news agency said.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island, triggering an exchange of fire as southern armed forces went on their highest state of alert.
The explosions that shattered the calm of the remote Yeonpyeong Island killed two South Korean marines and two civilians, wounded 18 others, left 22 buildings in charred ruins and sent hundreds of terrified residents fleeing to the mainland.
South Korea's government convened in an underground war room and air force jets were reportedly scrambled to the Yellow Sea island.
A US aircraft carrier battle group was heading for a US-South Korea joint naval drill in the Yellow Sea for the four-day drill starting Sunday, a show of force designed to deter the North after Tuesday's strike rang alarm bells worldwide.
