S. Korea fires warning shots, launches fighter jets after detecting drones likely sent by North

South Korea scrambled fighter jets and fired warning shots on Monday after detecting multiple drones believed to be sent by North Korea, officials said.

At least five “unidentified objects” believed to be drones were detected by the country’s military forces.

They entered the South Korean airspace near the western inter-Korean border early on Monday, in what a Joint Chiefs of Staff official called a “clear act of provocation.”

The incident marked the first time in five years the North has violated South Korea’s airspace.

“The North Korean UAVs were small and 2 meters (6.6 feet) in size,” Lee Seung-oh told reporters in a news briefing.

The South Korean military first detected the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near the city of Gimpo in Gyeonggi province at around 10:25 a.m. local time.

Among the five UAVs detected, one reportedly traveled as far as the northern part of the South Korean capital Seoul, while the other four flew near Ganghwa Island, NK News reported, citing the Yonhap News Agency.

The military responded by launching jets and helicopters to shoot down the drones. Around 100 rounds were fired, but it’s not clear if any of the UAVs were shot down, The Associated Press reported.

The country’s ministry of defense said that there were no reports of civilian damage on the ground.

This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.