North Korea fires shells as 'warning' to South Korea

North Korea fired artillery shells in waters near South Korea late Tuesday as a "a powerful military countermeasure" to Seoul's military drills, it said on Wednesday.

According to a statement made by the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA) and released by the state news agency KCNA, the North's military fired a "threatened, warning fire at the east and west seas" to stop Seoul's "reckless and inciting provocations escalating the military tension in the forefront area."

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korean military fired roughly 250 rounds of artillery in total around 10 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Tuesday.

North Korea later ordered troops to fire more artillery shells off its east and west coasts on Wednesday, KCNA reported.

Seoul's military said the shells didn't land in South Korean territorial waters but fell into buffer zones separating North and South Korea. 

Tensions between the two Koreas flared last week, after the North fired a barrage of artillery shells and flew warplanes near the border area.

Seoul condemned Pyongyang and imposed its first unilateral sanctions in nearly five years.

What we know about North Korea firing artillery shells 

South Korea called it a "clear violation" of the 2018 military agreement which created buffer zones along land and sea boundaries to reduce tensions between the Pyongyang and Seoul.

"We strongly urge North Korea to immediately halt its actions," the South Korean military leadership said in a statement.

"North Korea's continued provocations are actions that undermine peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the international community," it added.

North Korea says shots meant to warn South Korea

North Korea said later that the shots were designed to a send a "grave warning" to South Korea in response to its firing of dozens of artillery shells between "9:55 a.m. until 5:22 p.m." on Tuesday.

North Korea said the South's "war drill against the North is going on in a frantic manner."

"In order to send a serious warning once again, it made sure that KPA units on the east and west fronts conducted a threatening, warning fire toward the east and west seas in the night of October 18, as a powerful military countermeasure," it said in a statement released by North Korean state news agency, KCNA.

South Korea kicks off military training, angers Pyongyang

South Korean troops kicked off their annual Hoguk defense drills, meant to enhance performance capabilities to counter the North's nuclear and missile threats, on Monday.  

The drills are the latest in series of exercises by South Korea in recent weeks, including joint activities with the United States and Japan.

The latest training drill, due to end Saturday, comes at a time as North Korea steadily ramps up weapons testing.

South Korean lawmakers have said the North has completed preparations for what would be its first nuclear test since 2017, and might conduct it before November 8 US midterm elections. 

ss, rm/rt (Reuters, AP)