Seoul, Oct 19 (IANS): North Korea said it had discovered remains of a drone "identical to a military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that South Korea showed during the Armed Forces Day parade", calling it "decisive material evidence" to prove that Seoul committed a "hostile provocation" in violation of the country's sovereignty, state media reported on Saturday.

A spokesman for the North Korean Ministry of National Defense said on Friday that the Pyongyang Municipal Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security on October 13 discovered the remains of a crashed drone during a search operation in Pyongyang, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday.

North Korea assessed through technical examination and analysis the drone it discovered as a light-weight drone for long-range reconnaissance "owned by the South Korean military" and one of "the same type as the vehicle-carried one opened to the public at an event marking the ROK Armed Forces Day", according to the KCNA report. ROK is the acronym of the official name of South Korea, the Republic of Korea.

Based on the drone shape, its presumptive flight period and the leaflet-scattering box fixed to the underpart of the drone's fuselage, among other factors, "it is quite likely that the drone is the one which scattered leaflets over the center of Pyongyang," the KCNA said, adding though "the conclusion has not yet been drawn".

Subsequently, North Korea asked its military units in the capital city and the southern border area to reinforce anti-air observation posts, and "decided to keep the combined artillery units and the units with important fire duties near the border in full combat readiness", Xinhua news agency reported, citing the KCNA.

North Korea warned that "if a violation of the DPRK's territorial ground, air and waters by ROK's military means is discovered and confirmed again, it will be regarded as a grave military provocation against the DPRK sovereignty and a declaration of war and an immediate retaliatory attack will be launched", the KCNA said. DPRK is the acronym of the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry on October 11 accused South Korea of sending drones over Pyongyang. South Korea's military denied the accusation on the same day, saying "it did not send drones into North Korea".