A US Army soldier has died of his injuries after he was attacked by a bear while on a training exercise on Tuesday in Alaska.
The soldier was part of a small unit in a training area west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill when the bear attacked.
The name of the soldier was being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.
The 673rd Security Forces Squadron initially responded to the incident, according to officials at the US military facility Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).
Alaska Wildlife Troopers are now conducting a search for the bear believed to have carried out the deadly attack, according to JBER.
The area has since been closed to the public for all recreation activity to prevent further attacks.
Grizzly bears and black bears are two of the most common species inhabiting Alaska, though the large brown grizzly bear is generally more dangerous and willing to attack humans
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a US military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, and is the result of a merger between the US Air Force’s Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson in 2010
The bear attack took place while a small group of soldiers were on a training exercise west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill
It is unclear which kind of bear was involved in the attack, and Alaska is home to a variety of bear species.
Grizzly bears and black bears are two of the most common species inhabiting Alaska, though the large brown grizzly bear is generally more dangerous and willing to attack humans.
JBER is a US military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, and is the result of a merger between the US Air Force’s Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson in 2010.
Base officials said more information would be released as it became available.
Daily Mail (UK)
