South Korean base in Afghanistan hit by artillery

Seoul, May 5 (Yonhap) A base for South Korea's aid workers and troops in Afghanistan has been shelled, but no injuries were reported, a military official said today.

Four artillery shells dropped in and around the base compound in Charika, a city in the northern Afghan province of Parwan on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military official.

"Two of the shells appear to have dropped inside the base, with one of them landing outside and the other detonating in midair. We have yet to confirm who was responsible for the attack," he said, adding that there were no injuries or damages to properties.

South Korea has about 90 aid workers and police officers in Afghanistan as its provincial reconstruction team, or PRT.

Some 340 troops are stationed there as members of the "Ashena" unit to protect the team.

Korean base in Afghanistan - opening ceremony delayed

SEOUL - South Korea says it is delaying next week's opening ceremony of its new base in due to security concerns.

Three rocket propelled grenades landed inside the base and two others fell outside the base Tuesday. The attack came hours after Seoul's defence minister visited. No one was injured.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the opening ceremony would be put on hold indefinitely.

Seoul withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 2007 after the Taliban killed two of its citizens in a hostage standoff.

It deployed a provincial reconstruction team to help rebuild the war-torn country last year. More than 320 South Korean troops are stationed there to protect South Korean civilian aid workers and policemen.

Associated Press