North Korea accuses South Korean military of firing artillery shells into 'buffer zones'

North Korea has accused the South Korean military of firing artillery shells into "buffer zones," warning Seoul to stop the "provocative military actions" in the area of the Military Demarcation Line.

The "enemy" fired more than 30 artillery shells at the Cho-ri shooting range in Jindong-myon, Phaju City of Kyonggi Province, located in the forward area of the western front, the Korean People's Army said in a statement issued late Tuesday.

"This is a very grave military provocation further aggravating the prevailing situation," the military said in a statement released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Following the shelling, the Korean People's Army General Staff ordered the artillery units of the Second Army Corps to go into a firepower alert posture for attack and to take steps to strengthen the overall front guard and anti-aircraft combat duty, it added.

"The KPA General Staff solemnly warns the enemy side to stop at once the provocative military actions in the area of the Military Demarcation Line," the military warned.

On Monday, South Korea and the US conducted joint air drills involving the US nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bomber, ostensibly to demonstrate Washington's military might against Pyongyang.

While the two allies plan to begin 11-day joint military exercises on March 13.

A day earlier, North Korea's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Monday air drills, accusing the US of deliberately escalating the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region despite their warning.

While in a separate statement, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned the US and South Korea that interception of its "test of strategic weapon" would be considered a "declaration of war" against Pyongyang.

"A South Korean press organ released on February 24th an indefinite report that the US Indian-Pacific Commander said if we launch an inter-continental ballistic missile to the Pacific, it would be downed immediately," Kim said in her statement published by the state-run news agency.

She said her country’s missile program is for self-defense and warned that intercepting their strategic weapons by the US would be a declaration of war against North Korea.