South Korean prosecutors seek drone chief's arrest over operation in North
Prosecutors stepped up a probe into the drone operation after indicting the jailed ex-President Yoon on Saturday on additional charges for his short-lived declaration of martial law in December.
They had summoned the unit's chief, Kim Yong-dae, on Thursday regarding accusations that Yoon ordered a covert drone operation into the North last year to inflame tension between the neighbours to justify his martial law decree.
Yoon has denied the accusations.
Kim told reporters the incident was part of a "clandestine military operation" in response to trash balloons sent from the North and not intended to provoke the neighbouring nation.
In October, North Korea said the South had sent drones to scatter anti-North Korea leaflets over Pyongyang, and published photos of the remains of a crashed South Korean military drone.
South Korea at the time declined to disclose whether it had sent the drones.
In a statement on Sunday, the prosecution office said it had sought an arrest warrant for Kim. Media said a court hearing is planned for Monday afternoon to review the request for a warrant.
He was arrested on Friday without a court warrant, media said. Prosecutors and police are permitted to make an "emergency arrest" if they have a strong belief someone is guilty of a serious crime and may flee or destroy evidence.
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BBC News
15 hours ago
- BBC News
Wetin cause tension between Thailand and Cambodia
Clash between Thailand and Commbodia military for one border wey di two kontris dey drag, don kill at least 12 pipo, Thai authority tok. Dis fight don carry di border argument, wey don dey occur for more dan 100 years between di two South Asia neighbours enta anoda level. Most of di people wey die na civilians from three of Thailand provinces according to Thai army. Di army also report say many oda pipo wunjure. But Cambodia neva tok weda dem to get casualties. On Thursday, di two sides exchange gunfire wit each side claiming say na di oda first find trouble. Di gbas gbos quickly enta anoda level as Thailand accuse Cambodia say e fire rockets, and diafore, dem fire air strikes on Cambodia military targets. Now Thailand don close dia border wit Cambodia, while Cambodia reduce dia relationship wit Thailand, wey e accuse say dem use "excess force." Di two don ask dia kontri pipo wey dey live near di border make dem pack comot. Thailand evacuate 40,000 pipo comot go safe place. "E serious no be small. We dey middle of evacuation," Sutian Phiwchan, on area pesin for di Ban Dan district for Thailand Buriram province near Cambodia border, tell BBC. Thai authorities say na 11 civilians, including one pikin wey dey eight years and anoda one wey dey 15 year, plus one military pesin. Cambodia and Thailand dey tok dia own version of wetin happun. Thailand claim say Cambodia military na dem first send drone to spy dia troop for border. Cambodia for dia own tok say Thai sojas cause fight wen dem break one agreement wen dem carry dem sef go near Khmer-Hindu temple wey dey near di border. Wetin dey cause fight? Dis gbas gbos between Cambodia and Thailand begin more dan one hundred years, wen French colonial masters divide di border for di two kontris. Tins officially enta anoda level of kasala for 2008, wen Cambodia try to register one 11 century temple wey dey for di area wey dem dey drag land, as World Heritage Site. Dis move cause serious protest for Thailand. Di two side don dey clash for years and soldiers and civilians don die for both sides. Dis lates tension begin gada momentum for May afta dem kill one Cambodia soldier for one clash. For di past two months, di two kontris impose border restriction on di oda. Cambodia stop to import tins like fruits and vegetables, plus stop importing electricity and internet service. Both kontris don also increase di number of soldiers wey dem get for di border. Thailand acting premier Phumtham Wechayachai say di kasala wey dem get wit Cambodia dey "delicate", and dem must to address am wit care and according to international law. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet im kontri want make dem solve dis mata peacefully - but add say im "no get choice" but to "respond wit armed force against armed aggression". Serious exchange of fire between di two kontris bin reduce sharply. But while e dey be like say di current fight fight fit no blow up turn to fill war, di two side currently lack leaders wey get enough strength and confidence to pull back from dis confrontation.
BreakingNews.ie
15 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
At least 12 killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire on disputed border
Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged fire on their border in a sharp escalation of a conflict that killed at least 12 people, mostly civilians and including two children aged eight and 15. Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and have downgraded diplomatic relations since Wednesday. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings with Cambodia. Advertisement Relations between the south-east Asian neighbours have deteriorated sharply since an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier. Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation. An injured Thai soldier is sent to hospital (Royal Thai Army/AP) The Thai army said the most casualties occurred in Si Sa Ket province, where six people were killed after shots were fired at a fuel station. At least two dozen people were injured in three border provinces. The Thai army said it launched air strikes on Thursday on ground military targets in Cambodia, while the Cambodian Defence Ministry said the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple. Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, Thai Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said. Advertisement The first clash on Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. A video from Thailand's side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker as explosions sounded. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cambodia has attacked military and non-military sites in Thailand, including a hospital. 'The Royal Thai Government calls upon Cambodia to take responsibility for the incidents that have occurred, cease attacks against civilian and military targets, and stop all actions that violate Thailand's sovereignty,' said Nikorndej Balankura, the ministry's spokesperson. Advertisement Thai soldiers inspect a border area (Royal Thai Army/AP) 'The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand's sovereignty in accordance with international law and principles.' Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country had always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems, but 'we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression'. Earlier on Thursday, Cambodia said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. That was in response to Thailand withdrawing its ambassador and expelling the Cambodian ambassador on Wednesday in protest at a land mine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers. Advertisement The Thai army said of Thursday's initial clash that its forces heard a drone before seeing six Cambodian soldiers moving closer to Thailand's station. It said Thai soldiers tried to shout at them to defuse the situation but the Cambodian side opened fire. Cambodia's Defence Ministry also said Thailand employed a drone first before opening fire, and that Cambodia 'acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity'. The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh said there were clashes at several border areas that could continue to escalate. It urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave the country if they could and advised others not to travel to Cambodia unless absolutely necessary. Land mine detection teams in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Anton L Delgado/AP) On Wednesday, a land mine blast near the border wounded five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg. A week earlier, a land mine in a different contested area exploded and wounded three Thai soldiers. Advertisement Thai authorities have alleged the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand's military. Cambodia rejected Thailand's account as 'baseless accusations', pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance are a legacy of 20th century wars and unrest. The border dispute has also caused political fallout in Thailand, whose prime minister was suspended from office to be investigated for possible ethics violations over the matter. Border disputes are longstanding issues that have caused periodic tensions between the countries. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice recognised Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area in a ruling that became a major irritant in the relations of both countries. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 after military clashes killed about 20 people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
Air Force stops use of common pistol after reports of accidental discharges and an airman's death
The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command has put a halt to the use of Sig Sauer M18 pistol by airmen after a service member died in an accidental shooting over the weekend. The fatal accident occurred at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The M18 pistols will be banned from use until the investigation concludes. In what effectively serves as an Air Force recall, Command wants all of the M18 pistols handed over to specialist airmen who can inspect the weapons. 'Air Force Global Strike Command has paused use of the M18 Modular Handgun System, effective July 21, 2025, until further notice,' AFGSC spokesperson Charles Hoffman told The War Zone. 'This decision was made following a tragic incident at F.E. Warren AFB, WY, on July 20, 2025, which resulted in the death of a Security Forces Airman.' The Air Force has not released further information about the airman's death. The Independent has requested comment. Hoffman said that 'out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the AFGSC Safety office." Sig Sauer's website says that the M18 — which is a U.S. military standard issue pistol that is also available for civilian purchase —was built on the same platform a its P320 pistol. The company is currently facing multiple lawsuits from people claiming that they were hurt by the P320 when the gun discharged without a trigger pull. Sig Sauer has maintained that its weapon is safe and that any injuries were the result of user error. The Independent has requested comment from Sig Sauer. Sig Sauer has moved to dismiss the most recent lawsuit, but a judge has not ruled on the motion. Just two weeks before the airman was killed, the FBI issued a report also noting safety concerns about the P320. Sig Sauer similarly pushed back on the FBI's findings, according to The War Zone. Days after the FBI report came out, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a permanent ban on the use of the pistols. The U.S. military and U.S. federal agencies have been using Sig Sauer's M18 pistols — based on the P320 – since 2017.
