The war veterans rallied in downtown Seoul

The war veterans rallied in downtown Seoul on Saturday, calling for retaliation against North Korea for bombarding a South Korean border island earlier in the week. South Korean protesters in the port city of Incheon tear a North Korean flag during a protest Saturday.South Korean protesters in the port city of Incheon tear a North Korean flag during a protest Saturday.

Among the crowd were about 70 former special forces troops, wearing white headbands, who scuffled with riot police in front of the Defence Ministry to protest against what they called the government's weak response to the attacks.

The former naval servicemen pummelled police with wooden stakes and sprayed fire extinguishers. They also burned a North Korea flag, along with a picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. North Korea's state news agency said that although "it is very regrettable, if it is true, that civilian casualties occurred on Yeonpyeong island, its responsibility lies in enemies' inhumane action of creating a 'human shield' by deploying civilians around artillery positions."

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