S. Korea, U.S. hold combined river crossing drills

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States on Wednesday staged combined river-crossing military drills, the Army here said, as the allies are strengthening readiness to counter evolving North Korean threats.

Some 1,000 troops from the two militaries joined the drills around Namhan River in Yeoju, 105 kilometers south of Seoul, mobilizing some 50 vehicles, including K2 battle tanks, as well as air assets, such as Apache attack helicopters and KF-16 fighters.

During the drills, military aircraft carried out fire support and other missions while ground troops worked together to assemble a makeshift bridge to carry out contingency operations, according to the armed service.

The establishment of the bridge created a path for tanks, armored vehicles and foot soldiers to cross the river.

The training came as Seoul and Washington have been striving to maintain a steady readiness posture in the wake of the North's continued provocations, including its firing of hundreds of artillery shells on Tuesday and Wednesday.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)