North Korea says it caused a South Korean drone to crash near the border city of Gaesong earlier this week after the drone violated the regime’s airspace.

The General Staff Department of the Korean People’s Army made the accusation Saturday in a statement carried by the ruling party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun.

The statement said North Korean troops conducting air surveillance detected and tracked the drone on Sunday as it moved north from Incheon’s Ganghwa County, south of the border.

The North claimed that after causing the drone to crash, it analyzed the wreckage and found surveillance equipment that was used to film key targets as the drone flew over the Gaesong area for more than three hours.
 
Pyongyang asserted that recorded images prove Seoul invaded its airspace during a surveillance patrol, saying the South’s provocations continue even after a change of administration here.

The regime also alleged a similar incident in September, claiming a South Korean drone crossed into Pyongsan, North Hwanghae Province, before crashing in Gaesong due to an electronic attack.

The North accused the South of continuing what it called provocative acts, despite claims of wanting to resume cross-border communications, and warned that the country will pay a price.