South Korea said Friday it will powerfully counterattack any provocations from North Korea as the communist North is expected to launch another attack over the weekend.
  

South Korea "will strongly retaliate against any kind of North Korean attacks and the North will have to take all the responsibility for such retaliative actions," the Defense Ministry said, quoting a message sent to the North earlier in the day. 
  

The warning message was delivered as North Korea's shelling at South Korea's western border is spiraling inter-Korean military tension.
  

On Thursday, the North fired artillery rounds over the western part of the military demarcation line, prompting the South to fire back dozens of shells in return.
  

In the message, Seoul also warned Pyongyang that the shelling is a clear violation of the armistice and their non-aggression agreement, the ministry said.
  

The warning was announced as North Korea is likely to launch another military attack on the South in the near future.
  

North Korea is likely to launch provocations after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said during an emergency meeting of military commanders earlier in the day.
  

The South Korean military is maintaining its top-level vigilance posture to react sternly to any kinds of attacks by the North, according to the ministry.
  

Right after the shelling a day earlier, North Korea said it will take military action if the South does not stop its anti-Pyongyang propaganda warfare, launched along the border in retaliation of the North's blasting of land mines on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone earlier in the month. (Yonhap)