S. Korean mechanized troops stage frozen river crossing drill

Published : Feb 12, 2017 - 14:50 Updated : Feb 13, 2017 - 09:06

South Korea's mechanized troops staged a large-scale river crossing drill to highlight their ability to strike the North even under adverse weather conditions, the Army said Sunday.

Units of the 11th mechanized division conducted a frozen fording exercise near Hongcheon, 102 kilometers east of Seoul, on Thursday, it said.

In this photo provided by South Korea's military, K-200 armored personnel carriers cross a river near Hongcheon. (Yonhap)

"The maneuver was carried out by the troops to check their overall fighting capability that can act as a strong deterrent against North Korea," an Army officer said.

He said that the South Korea's latest K-2 main battle tanks, K-21 infantry fighting vehicles and K-200 armored personnel carriers took part in the winter weather maneuver.

A total of 120 vehicles and 1,000 troops were involved in the 200-meter-long river crossing, with combat engineers and aviation elements also playing a part and contributing to the successful mission.

The Army said explosives were used to break the ice on the frozen river, with armored vehicles using smoke screens to mask their movement. Troops got aerial covering fire from AH-1S Cobra helicopter gunships.

The military, meanwhile, allowed rare press coverage of the frozen-river exercise to show the people its readiness to defend the country from North Korean provocations. (Yonhap)