Posted on 11/27/2001 4:21:19 PM PST by Pericles
Tuesday November 27, 2:05 PM
Shots fired in demilitarized zone dividing Korea
North and South Korean troops briefly exchanged fire in the sensitive inter-Korean buffer zone, South Korean military authorities said.
"North Korean troops opend fire toward one of our guard posts inside the DMZ (demilitarized zone), prompting ourside to return fire," a defense ministry spokesman told AFP.
"Further shots were then exchanged between guard posts of the two sides in the DMZ. One bullet hit and shattered window panes of a South Korean bunker which serves as a guard post," he said.
The exchange of fire took place at 10:42 am (01:42 GMT) Tuesday inside the DMZ near the truce village of Panmunjom.
DMZ refers to a four-kilometer (2.5 miles)-wide, 155-mile long buffer zone which divides the Korean peninsula into the communist North and the capitalist South.
The ministry could not immediately give further details nor say whether there was any casualty.
This is the first exchange of fire inside the DMZ since the two Koreas held a historic summit in June last year in Pyongyang, pledging to move toward peace and reconciliation.
Inter-Korean ties have become tense after the South raised a security alert following the September 11 terrorist atttacks in the United States.
North Korea demands the South to lift the alert, accusing the South and the United States of raising tension on the Korean peninsula under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
Korea...Cuba...China...Iraq...Iran...whoever.
Take a number...dont take a number...whatever.
"We Didn't Start The Fire............."
Hmmm, the first shots in over a year and this happens immediately after Bush issues his warning to N Korea and Iraq. What a coincidence. Don't forget, the N. Koreans initiated the Korean war using some twisted Clintonized definition of self-defense. Perhaps they're trying to create some confusion over which they can do more of the same.
And I live in Alaska now, but some of those January nights on the DMZ were the COLDEST I have ever been in my life. I have tremendous respect for the Soldiers and Marines who fought up North of the Imjin River during the Korean War- the coldest Winter there in 50 years, I understand. Those were some tough guys!!!
January in the DMZ was the coldest I've ever been in my life
Set up your ambush after dark and be a popsicle by morning
Spent a month in charge of GP Oulette too. Some spooky nights but what a great job for a lieutenant
Ah....thems were the days
Thanks for the memories "Gee Eye"
All the best
Platoon Leader 1-9 Infantry 80-81
Kinda quiet-like then, except for the incessant KPA artillery shoots (into their impact areas).
I know of guys losing their lives trying to manuver deuce & a halves around those mountain turns in the winter, with the trucks tumbling down the sides. That place is hell on ice in the winter. Like you, I have a great deal of respect for those guys from the 1950s. Those ROK soldiers kick butt too!
The US of A does not need another flare up in the world.
To much s**t coming down.
Koreas of North want to take the South.
Communist China cannot wait to invade Taiwan.
Israel is holding its breath.
If it all comes at once watch out for WWIII.
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