BREAKING: North Korea and South Korea Trading Fire [rdbrewer]

North Korea fired on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, west of the peninsula. South Korea returned fire.

Video of fires and exploding artillery:

Two injured and several houses burned down:

South Korea's YTN television said two people were injured, several houses were on fire and that shells were still falling on Yeonpyeong island. Yonhap news agency, quoting a military official, said four soldiers were wounded. The reports couldn't be immediately verified.

YTN said between 1,200 and 1,300 people live in the island, citing an island resident. TV pictures showed black and white smoke rising from the island.

A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said dozens of rounds of artillery landed on the island and in the sea. The official says South Korea fired back. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of JCS rules, said South Korea's military is on alert. He had no other details.

According to the Breaking News Twitter feed, South Korea is on its highest non-wartime alert and has scrambled F-16 jets.

UPDATE: Reuters: The shelling continues. Approximately 60-70 houses are on fire.

UPDATE: Reuters: Fourteen South Korean soldiers hurt, four seriously.

UPDATE: Steve Herman, VOA: One military fatality. Russia warns against escalation. Obama? (Link via Andy Levy's Twitter feed.)

UPDATE: South Korea to consider pushing the U.N. for condemnation. As Andy Levy says, that'll larn 'em good. (Link via Andy and Steve Herman.)

UPDATE: More pictures at the Yonhap News Agency.

UPDATE: Steve Herman, VOA: Two South Korean Marines killed. South Korea warns of "stern retaliation" if North Korea fires any more artillery.

UPDATE: Breaking News Twitter feed: "U.S. 'strongly condemns' attack on South Korea; calls on North 'to halt its belligerent action' - White House statement"

UPDATE: BBC News: "South Korea says it conducted test firing before the exchange at the island - but says it fired west not north, Reuters reports."

posted by Open Blogger at 01:43 AM

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