South Korea and the United States were staging combined urban combat training this week to bolster their readiness against threats in urban areas and underground facilities, Seoul's Army said Thursday.

The five-day Army exercise kicked off at an urban operations training ground in the border city of Paju, 37 kilometers northwest of Seoul, on Monday.

The exercise mobilized some 400 troops, including soldiers from the South's 9th Infantry Division, a US infantry platoon and other units, as well as tanks, helicopters and drones, the Army said.

The two sides staged attack and defense operations under the scenario of surprise attacks in urban areas and battles in underground facilities, which have drawn attention as a new battleground in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the armed service said. (Yonhap)