Two of the four North Korean submarines that eluded South Korean and U.S. surveillance earlier this week have returned to their base after what appeared to be a routine exercise in the East Sea, a defense source said Thursday.
The source, however, said the other two 300-ton submarines remained at large, as tension simmers on the peninsula following Seoul's condemnation of Pyongyang last week for a torpedo attack on its warship.
"It has been assessed from the routes of the North Korean submarines" that they took part in a routine drill, the defense source said. "Two have returned to base, but the other two are still being tracked down."
The sinking of South Korea's Cheonan corvette on March 26 off the west coast of the divided peninsula claimed 46 lives and has prompted the sides to raise their alertness over each other.
On Wednesday, the U.S., which has 28,500 troops stationed here, and South Korea raised their combat alert to the second highest level, a Seoul official said. North Korea has also reportedly placed its 1.2 million troops in a combat readiness posture.
The elevation came a day before South Korea's Navy launched an anti-submarine drill off its west coast in its first show of military force after the sinking.
The naval exercise, including the testing of anti-submarine bombs and naval guns, took place off Taean, about 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, according to military officials.
Earlier this week, the South announced a flurry of military, diplomatic and economic measures to punish the North for the sinking, including the resumption of psychological warfare.
North Korea, which denies its involvement in the sinking, has also been banned from sending commercial ships to sail through the South's waters.//Yonhap
The source, however, said the other two 300-ton submarines remained at large, as tension simmers on the peninsula following Seoul's condemnation of Pyongyang last week for a torpedo attack on its warship.
"It has been assessed from the routes of the North Korean submarines" that they took part in a routine drill, the defense source said. "Two have returned to base, but the other two are still being tracked down."
The sinking of South Korea's Cheonan corvette on March 26 off the west coast of the divided peninsula claimed 46 lives and has prompted the sides to raise their alertness over each other.
On Wednesday, the U.S., which has 28,500 troops stationed here, and South Korea raised their combat alert to the second highest level, a Seoul official said. North Korea has also reportedly placed its 1.2 million troops in a combat readiness posture.
The elevation came a day before South Korea's Navy launched an anti-submarine drill off its west coast in its first show of military force after the sinking.
The naval exercise, including the testing of anti-submarine bombs and naval guns, took place off Taean, about 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, according to military officials.
Earlier this week, the South announced a flurry of military, diplomatic and economic measures to punish the North for the sinking, including the resumption of psychological warfare.
North Korea, which denies its involvement in the sinking, has also been banned from sending commercial ships to sail through the South's waters.//Yonhap
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