North Korea puts front-line troops in combat readiness, imposes emergency regime along demarcation line

BEIJING, August 21. /TASS/. North Korea’s top military commanders ordered front-line troops to have full combat readiness starting today at 5pm local time, Pyongyang’s Ambassador to China Ji Jae Ryong said on Friday. Emergency regime is also introduced in the area along the Military Demarcation Line between North Korea and South Korea, he added. "In accordance with the order of commander-in-chief of the Korean People’s Army, all front-line troops along the contact line [Military Demarcation Line] will be in full combat readiness starting from 5pm on Friday so that they are ready to repel unexpected military operations of the enemy," the diplomat said. The ambassador reminded that on August 20, North Korea put forward an ultimatum to South Korea to stop broadcasting propaganda and dismantle equipment within the next 48 hours. "If our last warning is not met, we will have to give a harsh response," he added. The North Korean army shelled on Thursday the positions of the South Korean military in the western part of the Demilitarized Zone where loudspeakers used by Seoul in its propaganda campaign against Pyongyang are located. The incident occurred at about 4pm local time (10am Moscow time). The South Korean military opened reprisal fire on the alleged source of the artillery bombardments. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense has confirmed the information about the incident. Russia called on Seoul and Pyongyang to demonstrate utmost restraint and avoid actions with use of firearms. "The exchange of artillery fire across the military demarcation line between North Korea and South Korea arises concern," Foreign Ministry official spokesperson Maria Zakharova noted. "We have to draw attention to a general tendency of deteriorating conditions on the Korean Peninsula," she stressed. "We think that in current circumstances, all sides should demonstrate utmost restraint, refrain from any actions that can aggravate the situation, especially avoiding actions with the use of firearms," Zakharova noted. The current situation "clearly demonstrates that solution of peninsula’s problems should be found in the context of general military and political detente in North-Eastern Asia, reduction of accumulated confrontational potential in the region," she concluded. Read more