S.Korea Navy sinks NK"s Warships

South Korean naval forces sank a North Korean torpedo ship on Tuesday morning as a fierce gun battle erupted 9:25 am in the West Sea.
South Korea put its entire armed forces on combat level of alert.
Another North Korean vessel was sinking and it appeared to be towed away by its ships and three other North Korean warships were heavily damaged in the 10-minute firefight. There were no immediate reports of deaths.
Two South Korean navy vessels reportedly got minor damage and seven navy sailors were slightly injured.
Col. Hwang Dong Kyu, spokesman for the South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said three North Korean ships shot first and their fire was returned by at least some of the eight South Korean ships patrolling the area.
Even as the firing broke out, talks to resolve the nine-day crisis between North Korean officials and the U.N. Command began Tuesday morning in the demilitarized zone, Panmunjum.
Tuesday's fight is the most serious setback in relations between the two sides since December 1998, when South Korean forces sunk a spy submarine that had intruded deeply into South Korean waters.
'In response to firing by the North Korean navy, our naval vessels fired immediately, according to military regulations,' said Hwang.
He added 'We have placed all naval forces in the area on combat alert status.' Combat alert is a state of emergency below a state of war.
Shang-bok Shim :simsb@joongang.co.kr