US, South Korea hold joint drills on countering North Korea's underground bunkers

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - South Korean and US troops on Monday conducted joint drills on countering North Korea's extensive network of underground military installations, Seoul's army said.

The four-day drills began at a training ground in Paju, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) north of Seoul as the allies seek to enhance readiness against the North Korea's "military threats," Yonhap News reported.

The drills involved some 370 troops as part of the allies' ongoing annual Freedom Shield exercise.

Led by the Ground Operations Command, the drills were designed to train troops on combat tactics in North Korean underground facilities in the event of a war.

The exercise will train troops to utilize explosives to trap the enemy inside tunnels, as well as small-sized drones, including the US military's Black Hornet, to conduct reconnaissance operations.

North Korea has long blasted the allies' joint exercises as rehearsals for an invasion, while South Korea and the US insist that such drills are defensive in nature.

The Freedom Shield is scheduled to end Thursday.