South Korea links DMZ blasts to North Korean mines

South Korea’s military said its preliminary investigation found North Korean mines highly likely to have caused September 21 explosions in the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers. North Korea denied responsibility, while Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warned that its border units would retaliate if South Korean troops fired on North Korean soldiers working on fortifications. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced its preliminary assessment on Monday after an inspection with the U.N. Command. The blasts occurred near the Military Demarcation Line in the western section of the DMZ. One of the injured soldiers lost a foot, according to reports. The U.N. Command said a joint investigation identified an active North Korean antipersonnel mine south of the Military Demarcation Line and determined that an armistice violation had occurred. South Korea’s military has described its own finding as preliminary, and investigators are expected to complete additional analysis before issuing final findings.