Two Killed as Koreas Exchange Artillery Fire Across Border

Two South Korean marines are dead after the North Korean military fired shells into a residential area.

A bombardment of North Korean artillery shells has struck the small South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, injuring 16 people, killing two marines, and dramatically ratcheting up regional tensions. South Korea has been conducting military drills along its disputed western maritime border, and North Korea repeatedly demanded they be stopped. When they continued the North Korean military began shelling the island. The U.S., China, and Russia all issued calls for calm Tuesday, as South Korea returned fire into North Korean territory. The western border has been the site of periodic deadly skirmishes — most recently in November 2009 — and tensions between North and South Korea have been high since a South Korean warship was torpedoed in March.