Seoul/Pyongyang: If the US is to be believed, North Korean authorities have issued shoot-to-kill orders to prevent the novel coronavirus from entering its shores.
North Korea has not reported a single case of coronavirus, which has killed over 9 lakh and infected more than 2.8 crore people globally.
North Korea closed its border with China in January to try to prevent contamination.
According to US Forces Korea (USFK) commander Robert Abrams, the border shutdown had increased demand for smuggled goods, prompting authorities to intervene, reported AFP.
“The North introduced a new buffer zone, one or two kms up on the Chinese border. They’ve got North Korean SOF (Special Operations Forces) out there…. Strike forces, they’ve got shoot-to-kill orders in place,” Abrams said on Friday during an online conference organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
He also said that there may not be any major provocation from North Korea in the near future as the country is focused on mitigating the risk of COVID-19.
North Korea is notorious for missile launches and was at loggerheads with the US for a long time.
The isolated country is also grappling with the aftermath of typhoon Maysak, which has reportedly destroyed over 2,000 houses and inundated several towns and villages.
