American troops stationed in South Korea decided not to use so-called TOW anti-tank missiles at its shooting range close to the inter-Korean border after one of the missiles fired during training accidentally landed on a civilian area in December, the U.S. Eighth Army said Wednesday.

One Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wired-guided missile, measuring some 50 centimeters in length, went astray during an artillery drill at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, northeast of Seoul, on Dec. 30.

The missile hit the roof of a nearby religious retreat, although no one was hurt because the facility was closed.

"The missile malfunctioned due to a faulty guide wire, resulting in an inability to communicate with the fire control system," the Eighth Army said, releasing the result of an investigation into the case.

"Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal has directed that units will no longer fire TOW missiles at the Rodriguez complex out of a concern for potential mishaps and the safety of the population in the surrounding areas," the Eighth Army said in a statement.

Nonetheless, the missile deviation was not the result of any mishandling, the statement said, adding that "all necessary preparation and safety precautions" were observed in handling the training.

Following the December incident, the Eighth Army, which are USFK's main troops tasked with deterring North Korea's ground invasion, had halted live fire drills at the border-area training field until North Korea's nuclear test on Jan. 6 led to the resumption of artillery exercises there.

The shooting range came under severe fire from residents of adjacent villages after a number of similar ricochet issues occurred last year. (Yonhap)