Around the World: Republic of Korea

Grenade blast injures 5

A hand grenade blast injured five soldiers yesterday at a military post of the Republic of Korean near the tense border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Army officials were investigating, but said the incident had virtually no chance of being a military attack.

The grenade exploded early yesterday at a guard post's barrack where 17 soldiers were sleeping, an army officer said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. The guard post is inside the 4-km-wide demilitarized zone between the two countries.

Five soldiers were injured and one of them was in a critical condition, the army officer said.

(China Daily 11/24/2008 page7)