18 Jun 2011

South Korean troops mistakenly fire at passenger jet

8:03 pm on 18 June 2011

South Korean troops have fired at a passenger jet after mistaking it for a North Korean military plane.

The soldiers fired 99 rifle rounds at the Asiana flight, which was out of range and landed undamaged at Seoul's Incheon International Airport.

The plane, which had 119 people on board, came from China.

The BBC reports the West Sea, which contains the disputed maritime border between North and South Korea, has been particularly tense since two attacks on South Korea last year.

The soldiers were manning a guardpost on an island near the border with North Korea.