North Korea on Thursday claimed that the Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident in 1976, which resulted in the death of two U.S. officers, was sparked by American soldiers who “attacked the North” first.

The attack – which happened exactly 40 years ago today – almost drove the South and the North to the verge of a second Korean War.

“When our soldiers tried to stop the U.S.’ outrageous behaviour, the villains suddenly swung their deadly weapons, including axes, and attacked our forces like a pack of wolves,” the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported.

“…Our soldiers immediately took self-defensive measures,” it