South Korean and US forces stage drills for reaction to possible 'Hamas-style' attack by North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korean and U.S. troops have been conducting live-fire exercises this week to hone their ability to respond to potential Hamas-style surprise artillery attacks by North Korea, South Koreas military said Friday.
The two forces regularly conduct live-fire and other training, but this weeks drills come after Hamas Oct. 7 assault on Israel raised security jitters in South Korea, which shares the worlds most heavily fortified border with rival North Korea.
Experts say the Norths forward-deployed long-range artillery guns can fire about 16,000 rounds per hour in the event of a conflict, posing a serious threat to Seoul, which is about 40-50 kilometers (25-30 miles) from the border.
The three-day firing exercises, which began Wednesday, involved 5,400 South Korean and U.S. soldiers, 300 artillery systems, 1,000 vehicles and air force assets, according to South Koreas military.
https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-firing-drills-north-hamas-27f523eb38d5f07659db71bd9b41d8a2