Page 6 - aruba-today-20221227

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 27 december 2022
S. Korea launches jets, fires shots after North flies drones

By HYUNG-JIN KIM sile defense system in South
Associated Press Korea.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has touted its
South Korea’s military fired drone program, and South
warning shots, scrambled Korean officials have pre-
fighter jets and flew sur- viously said the North had
veillance assets across the about 300 drones. In 2014,
heavily fortified border with several suspected North
North Korea on Monday, Korean drones equipped
after North Korean drones with Japanese-made cam-
violated its airspace for the eras were found south of
first time in five years in a the border. Experts said
fresh escalation of tensions. they were low-tech but
South Korea’s military de- could be considered a po-
tected five drones from tential security threat.
North Korea crossing the A White House National
border, and one traveled Security official said U.S.
as far as the northern part officials were “consulting
of the South Korean capital closely with the (Republic
region, which is about an of Korea) about the nature
hour’s drive away, South of this incursion.”
Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff “We recognize the need of
said. The military respond- the ROK to protect its ter-
ed by firing warning shots A suspected North Korean drone is viewed at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on June ritorial integrity,” said the
and launching fighter jets 21, 2017. Associated Press official, who was not au-
and attack helicopters to thorized to be identified
shoot down the North Ko- after the North fired two across the border to pho- North Korea is highly un- and commented on con-
rean drones. The attack he- short-range ballistic missile tograph key military facili- usual and likely reflects a dition of anonymity. “The
licopters fired a combined in the latest in its torrid run ties in North Korea as corre- resolve by the conserva- U.S. commitment to the
100 rounds but it wasn’t im- of weapons tests this year. sponding measures against tive government led by defense of the Republic of
mediately known if any of Friday’s launches were the North Korean drone President Yoon Suk Yeol to Korea remains ironclad.”
the North Korean drones seen as a protest of the flights, the Joint Chiefs get tough on North Korean Earlier this month, North Ko-
were shot down, accord- South Korean-U.S. joint air said. It didn’t elaborate, provocations. North Korea rea claimed to have per-
ing to the Defense Ministry. drills that North Korea views but some observers say could respond with more formed major tests needed
There were no immediate as an invasion rehearsal. that South Korea likely flew fiery rhetoric or weapons to acquire its first spy satel-
reports of civilian damage One of the South Korean unmanned drones inside tests or other provocation, lite and a more mobile inter-
on the ground in South Ko- fighter jets scrambled on North Korean territory. some observers say. continental ballistic missile
rea. One of the North Ko- Monday, a KA-1 light at- “Our military will thoroughly It’s the first time for North capable of reaching the
rean drones returned to the tack plane, crashed dur- and resolutely respond to Korean drones to enter U.S. mainland. They were
North after three hours in ing takeoff but its two pi- this kind of North Korean South Korean airspace among high-tech weap-
South Korea, while the rest lots both ejected safely, provocation,” Maj. Gen. since 2017, when a sus- ons systems that North Ko-
disappeared from South defense officials said. They Lee Seung-o, director of pected North Korean rean leader Kim Jong Un
Korean military radars one said they also requested operations at the South Ko- drone was found crashed has vowed to introduce
after another, the Joint civilian airports in and near rean Joint Chiefs of Staff, in South Korea. South Ko- along with multi-warheads,
Chiefs said. Seoul to halt takeoffs tem- told reporters. rean military officials said underwater-launched
The North Korean drones porarily. South Korea’s public con- at the time that the drone nuclear missiles, nuclear-
and the swift response from South Korea also sent sur- firmation of any recon- with a Sony-made camera powered submarines and
the South came three days veillance assets near and naissance activities inside photographed a U.S. mis- hypersonic missiles.q

Israeli air force veterans say incoming

government a danger

veterans, including a for- ter said. “What we have in three are former fighter pi-
mer Israeli chief of staff, on common today is the fear lots.
Monday urged the coun- that the democratic state Former Prime Minister Ben-
try’s top legal officials to of Israel is in danger.” jamin Netanyahu and his
stand tough against the in- It called the legal officials ultra-Orthodox and far-right
coming government. “the final line of defense” partners captured a parlia-
In a letter to the chief of Is- and implored them to “do mentary majority in Nov. 1
rael’s Supreme Court and everything in your reach to elections.
other top officials, they said stop the disaster that is af- While they have not yet
the alliance of religious fecting the country.” completed coalition ne-
and ultranationalist parties Among the nearly 1,200 sig- gotiations, Netanyahu has
threatens Israel’s future. The natories were Dan Halutz, reached a series of deals
Israeli Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu, center, letter was delivered days who served as military chief that would grant his far-
pauses during a session after Yariv Levin was selected as before the new govern- from 2005-2007; Avihu Ben- right partners authority over
Speaker of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, ment is to take office. Nun, a former commander the national police force
Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. “We come from all strata of of the air force and Amos and settlement construc-
Associated Press society and from across the Yadlin, a former head of tion in the occupied West
JERUSALEM (AP) — Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force political spectrum,” the let- military intelligence. All Bank.q