[Anchor]

Three soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the western front. The accident occurred during an operation to clear a patrol path, and there is a possibility that it was planted by North Korean troops.

Senior Defense Reporter Kim Tae-hoon reports.

[Reporter]

Around 10:50 a.m., three soldiers were injured in an unidentified explosion within the operational area of the Army's 25th Division inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the western front, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

A JCS official said, "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 transported by helicopter to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and are receiving treatment."

The official added that the remaining soldiers who carried out the operation, including another injured officer, also received thorough medical examinations at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

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

The accident was reported to have occurred during an operation to clear a patrol path.

While the military is investigating the type of explosive and who planted it, a key government official told SBS, "The explosive was confirmed to be a landmine."

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

North Korean troops have reportedly laid new landmines recently by crossing the Military Demarcation Line into the operational zone of the 25th Division.

[Yoo Yong-weon / People Power Party Lawmaker: I have already revealed that in the 25th Division's guard zone alone, six areas, including minefields created by North Korean troops, crossed the Military Demarcation Line by about 10 to 15 meters.]

However, the military maintains that the explosion site does not precisely match the area where the terrain changed due to North Korea's so-called "border-making" work, such as laying landmines.

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

The most recent landmine explosion caused by a 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)