South Korea fires warning shots after North’s drones cross border

There were no immediate reports of civilian damage on the ground in South Korea

A suspected North Korean drone is viewed at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on June 21 2017 (Lee Jung-hoon/Yonhap/AP)

South Korea’s military fired warning shots and scrambled fighter jets after North Korean drones violated its airspace for the first time in five years in a fresh escalation of tensions.

Officials detected five drones crossing the heavily fortified border on Monday and one travelled as far as the northern part of the South Korean capital region, which is about an hour’s drive away, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.