North Korea orders border troops ‘get ready to open fire’ after drone claims

North Korea briefly ordered its troops along the South Korean border to stand ready to fire after accusing Seoul of sending drones into its capital Pyongyang in what it called a “war provocation”.

The general staff of North Korea’s army directed artillery units over the weekend to “get fully ready to open fire” for an immediate strike on enemy targets if a similar infiltration recurs, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday.

The order was issued on Saturday and was active until Sunday, according to the statement. North Korea claims that Seoul sent drones into Pyongyang three times this month, scattering leaflets denouncing the Kim regime.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was monitoring North Korea’s activities and is ready to counter any provocations.

“Our military is closely monitoring the situation and standing fully ready for the North’s provocations,” Lee Seong-joon, a spokesman for the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a press briefing.

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North Korea to ‘permanently’ block border links to ‘hostile’ South

North Korea to ‘permanently’ block border links to ‘hostile’ South

Pyongyang’s claims about propaganda drones infiltrating the capital’s airspace has led North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister to threaten a “horrible disaster” unless they stop.