South Korea conducts military drills with US to combat potential 'Hamas-style surprise attack' by N.Korea

Anticipating a potential 'Hamas-style surprise attack' from North Korea, South Korean and US troops have begun conducting live-fire exercises to prepare themselves for a counteroffensive.Although the two forces regularly conduct live-fire and other training exercises, this week's drills come after Hamas' unprecedented attacks against Israel on October 7 that raised security jitters in South Korea, which shares the world’s most heavily fortified border with rival North Korea.Experts say the North’s forward-deployed long-range artillery guns can fire about 16,000 rounds per hour in the event of a conflict, posing a serious threat to Seoul, which is about 40-50 kilometers (25-30 miles) from the border.The three-day military exercise which began on Wednesday included 5,400 South Korean and US soldiers, 300 artillery systems, 1,000 vehicles and air force assets, according to South Korea’s military.In a statement, South Korea’s Ground Operations Command said, "In a simulated response to the enemy’s (possible) Hamas-style surprise artillery attacks the exercises practiced strikes designed to remove the origins of the enemy’s long-range artillery provocations at an early date.”South Korea and the United States have been expanding their regular military drills in the face of North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. Since last year, North Korea has carried out more than 100 missile tests, some of them simulated nuclear attacks on South Korea and the US.With inputs from AP