The armies of South Korea and the United States are holding joint river-crossing military drills amid growing threats from North Korea. 

The South Korean Army said on Wednesday that its 5th Engineer Brigade and an engineer battalion under the U.S.’ 2nd Infantry Division have been staging joint river-crossing exercises since last Monday in the area of Imjin River in the border city of Paju in Gyeonggi Province. 

The two-week drill, which will run through Friday, began with a joint patrol and South Korean and American troops practiced building makeshift bridges to allow them to cross the river. 

The drills mobilized some 470 troops, 65 pieces of engineering equipment, helicopters, tanks and air defense weapons such as the Chunma and Chunho.