SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean military launched an operation Monday to remove any remaining land mines planted by North Korea at the site of a recent blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that left three South Korean service members injured.
Three South Korean military officers were injured Sept. 21, two seriously, when two land mines south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the western DMZ exploded.
Following a joint inspection of the blast site, the United Nations Command (UNC) and South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) concluded that the mines were "highly likely" planted by North Korea and urged Pyongyang to apologize.
Seoul has also discovered two additional land mines at and near the blast site.
The UNC, which oversees the DMZ, said the latest explosion constituted a violation of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
North Korea has denied responsibility for the blast, accusing South Korea of fabricating the findings and warning of "immediate and merciless" retaliation if its troops are fired upon.
A paramedic (in white circle) descends from a medical evacuation helicopter to hoist casualties from a land mine field inside the Demilitarized Zone after explosions occurred there Sept. 21, 2026, in this photo released by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sept. 28. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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