Three South Korean military officers wounded in explosion near border

South Korean officers injured successful DMZ explosion, perchance caused by a landmine, according to section media reports.

Three South Korean subject officers person been wounded successful an detonation successful the occidental assemblage of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The origin of Monday’s detonation was not instantly clear, the Ministry of Defence said.

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Two of the officers were evacuated from the tract by helicopter, portion the 3rd was transported by onshore earlier being airlifted, according to the ministry. The officers are being treated astatine a subject infirmary adjacent the superior Seoul, it said.

Mine explosions and different blasts are a recurring hazard successful and astir the DMZ, wherever bequest ⁠devices and suspected stray mines person periodically wounded subject unit connected some sides.

The DMZ, which is 248km (154 miles) agelong and 4km (2.5 miles) wide, is 1 of the world’s astir heavy equipped borders. An estimated 2 cardinal mines are peppered wrong and adjacent the border, which is besides guarded by barbed ligament fences, vessel traps and combat troops connected some sides. The portion is simply a bequest of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended with an armistice but not a bid treaty.

There person been increasing concerns successful South Korea astir accrued enactment by North Korean soldiers adjacent the subject demarcation enactment arsenic the North strengthens its borderline defences during prolonged tensions.