Three South Korean Officers Injured in DMZ Explosion

Three South Korean military officers were injured in an explosion of unknown cause during an operation in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone on Monday, according to South Korean military officials. The incident occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line, the border dividing the two Koreas, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The cause of the blast is under investigation, with officials stating it was not immediately clear. Observers have noted that a land mine is among the possible causes being considered. The South Korean military did not specify the nature of the operation during which the explosion occurred. Two of the injured officers were evacuated from the site by emergency helicopter, while the third was transported by land before being airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital near Seoul for treatment. The military did not provide details on the severity of their injuries. The Demilitarized Zone is a roughly 248-kilometer-long and 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone that has divided the Korean Peninsula since the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War.