South Korea fired warning shots today after several North Korean drones were sighted in the airspace. South Korea sent fighter jets and attack helicopters into the air to shoot down the drones.

This is the first time in five years that North Korean drones have been seen on the southern side of the border. In 2017, a North Korean drone believed to be on a spying mission crashed near the border.

The South Korean military command says that one of the drones briefly flew over the capital, Seoul, about 50 kilometers from the border with North Korea. Violation of our airspace is clearly an act of provocation.

The army has not yet confirmed whether the drones were shot down or not. According to local media, about a hundred shots were fired, but to no avail. A defense official said a fighter jet crashed shortly after takeoff. Both pilots managed to leave the plane in time and were taken to hospital.

In response, the South Korean military also sent a monitoring device into North Korean airspace to take pictures of military facilities.

The isolated border area between South Korea and North Korea is heavily guarded and riddled with landmines. The two countries are still officially at war. The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953 and ended with a cease-fire that continues to this day. No formal peace treaty was signed.