North Korean soldiers 'injured' in mine explosion amid tension

Several North Korean soldiers have been 'injured' in a landmine explosion in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. The British media outlet The Guardian reported this information based on a local news agency's report on Tuesday (June 18).

According to the report, news of the explosion was received shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported in a statement on landmine explosion that several soldiers were 'killed and injured'. On the other hand, NK News website quoted military sources as saying that several soldiers have been 'killed and wounded'.

The demilitarized zone has separated the two Koreas since the end of the 1950-1953 war. A 4-kilometer-wide extensive area has been laid with landmines to prevent enemy troops from entering.

A Joint Chief of Staff worker said that North Korean soldiers were 'creating an unstable environment' and were engaged in laying additional mines along the border. However, he did not provide any information on when this incident occurred.

The Joint Chief of Staff worker further stated that multiple soldiers have been injured in repeated incidents of landmine explosions during their work.

Earlier, Yonhap reported based on a statement that on June 9, several North Korean soldiers crossed the divisive border.

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff's announcement, when a North Korean unit crossed the military demarcation line into a demilitarized zone, South Korean soldiers fired warning shots as a cautionary measure. After that, North Korean soldiers returned to their border