South Korea scrambles jets after North Korea warplanes fly near border

South Korea scrambled its fighter jets on Friday after North Korea flew about 10 warplanes near the border separating the two countries, Reuters reported.

The planes flew about 15 miles north of the border and 7 miles north of a de facto border in the Yellow Sea. This is reportedly the closest that North Korean military aircraft have flown to the border since 2017, according to The Associated Press.

The flights are the latest in a series of provocations from North Korea. The isolated country launched its 15th missile test since late September on Friday, firing a short-range ballistic missile into its eastern waters just before 2 a.m. local time, the AP reported.

North Korea followed up the missile test on Friday by firing several hundred rounds of shells off both its east and west coasts, which landed in maritime buffer zones, according to the AP.

The country’s ongoing missile tests have stoked fears and tension, particularly in its close neighbors South Korea and Japan. Earlier this month, North Korea launched its first missile over Japan since 2017, causing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts.

North Korean state media also recently said that its missile launches are meant to simulate the use of nuclear weapons.

The U.S. has condemned the moves by North Korea, participating in several joint military exercises with South Korea in the last few weeks.