South Korea scrambles fighter jets after detecting some 180 North Korean warplanes

SEOUL: South Korea's military said it has scrambled fighter jets after detecting some 180 North Korean warplanes near the border on Friday.
"Our military detected around 180 North Korean warplanes" mobilised in Pyongyang's airspace, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding Seoul "scrambled 80 fighter jets including F-35As" while jets involved in military drills with the US were also "maintaining readiness"
The North Korean aircraft flew north of the so-called tactical measure line, drawn to up 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), South Korea's military said in a statement.
South Korea scrambled 80 aircraft, including, F-35A stealth fighters, in response. About 240 aircraft participating in the Vigilant Storm air exercises with the United States continued the drills, the military said.
A flight of 10 North Korean warplanes made similar maneuvers last month, prompting South Korea to scramble jets.
Earlier, North Korea fired about 80 artillery rounds into a maritime border zone overnight, South Korea said on Friday, as defence ministers from Seoul and Washington vowed to demonstrate determination in the face of missile tests by the North.
North Korea fired multiple missiles into the sea on Thursday, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting the United States and South Korea to extend air drills that have angered Pyongyang.
Beginning shortly before midnight on Thursday, South Korea's military said it had detected more than 80 artillery rounds fired into the sea by North Korea, in what it says is a violation of a 2018 inter-Korean agreement.
The South issued a warning communication to the North over the firing, the South Korean Ministry of Defence said in a statement.