[Anchor]

Today (September 21), three soldiers were injured when a landmine exploded in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the western front. The incident occurred during an operation to clear a patrol route, and authorities are considering the possibility that the mine was planted by North Korean troops.

Senior defense reporter Kim Tae-hoon reports.

[Reporter]

Around 10:50 a.m. today.

Three soldiers were injured in an unidentified explosion within the operational sector of the Army's 25th Infantry Division inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced.

A JCS official stated, "The accident occurred in the DMZ between the Military Demarcation Line and the Southern Limit Line on the western front," adding, "Two officers who sustained severe injuries were airlifted by helicopter to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and are receiving treatment."

The official added that the other service members who took part in the operation, including one other injured officer, also underwent thorough medical examinations at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

President Lee Jae-myung wrote on social media, "I pray for the swift recovery of the injured soldiers," adding, "The government will provide all necessary support for their treatment and rehabilitation."

The explosion reportedly occurred during an operation to clear a patrol path.

The military is currently investigating the type of explosive device and who laid it, with a key government official telling SBS, "The explosive has been confirmed to be a landmine."

The official added, "Given that the accident occurred in an area where our soldiers did not routinely travel, we cannot rule out the possibility that it was planted by the North Korean military."

North Korean troops have reportedly crossed the Military Demarcation Line recently to plant new landmines inside the 25th Division's operational zone.

[Rep. Yu Yong-weon / People Power Party: I have already revealed that in the 25th Division's guard sector alone, six sites, including minefields established by the North Korean military, intruded across the Military Demarcation Line by about 10 to 15 meters.]

However, the military maintains the position that the location of today's blast does not precisely match the area where terrain changes occurred due to North Korea's so-called "border-making" activities, such as landmine laying.

This marks the first landmine explosion inside the DMZ in about 10 months, since November of last year.

The most recent landmine explosion caused by North Korean provocation was the "wooden box landmine" incident on August 4, 2015.

(Video by Kim Hyun-sang and Lee Seung-hwan | Video Editing by Kim Jin-won | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung)