SEOUL: Two South Korean Air Force fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village during a joint training exercise with US forces on Thursday, officials said, with civilians among 15 people injured.

The Air Force KF-16 jets were participating in joint US-South Korea livefire training exercises in Pocheon, about 25 kilometres south of the heavily fortified border with nuclear-armed North Korea, military and government officials said.

The two jets accidentally released eight MK-82 general-purpose bombs four each which landed `outside the designated firing range`, the Air Force said. `The pilot appears to have entered incorrect coordinates during the pre-flight preparation process,` an Air Force official told reporters. One Pocheon resident toldYonhap news agency he was watching television when he heard the bombs explode.

`I suddenly heard an enormous explosion, like a thunderclap, and the whole house shook,` said the resident, who gave only his surname Park. `When I went outside, everything was in chaos,` he said.

The two aircraft were meant to fire simultaneously at a target as part of the exercise, the Air Force official said. `It is believed that the first pilot entered incorrect coordinates, leading the second aircraft to drop its munitions as well.` A defence ministry official said an investigation was underway.

`We deeply regret the unintended release of the bombs, which resulted in civilian casualties, and wish those injured a swift recovery,` the Air Force said in an earlier statement.-AFP