Militaries on both sides of the Korean border have relaxed their defense postures to peacetime levels following a landmark deal that defused tensions between the sides, military officials said Sunday.
  

South and North Korea raised their militaries' alert levels after tension flared up over a land mine explosion and ensuing artillery exchange earlier this month.
  

On Tuesday, the two sides struck a breakthrough agreement to end the hostilities and expand cross-border ties.
  

"The highest alert level issued for front-line units and the 'Jindotgae-1' issued at times of heightened local threats by the enemy have all been lifted," said a South Korean military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Now, our defense posture has returned to peacetime levels."
  

Another military official said North Korea has lifted its special duty order for front-line units along with the quasi-war state declared by leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the deal.
  

The communist country also appears to have sent troops that had been deployed to front-line areas during the stand-off back to their original units, the official said. (Yonhap)