Latest news with #YutaMatsuda
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Japanese troops injured in blast at US military base in Okinawa
Listen to article Several members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) were injured on Monday in an explosion at a facility inside the US military's Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, officials said. The blast occurred while SDF personnel were preparing to carry out bomb disposal operations, Japan's defence ministry confirmed. Four troops sustained minor injuries, according to local media reports citing the defence ministry. None of the injuries were life-threatening. Public broadcaster NHK reported that the explosion may have taken place at a temporary storage site for unexploded ordnance. Officials are working to verify the cause. "We've heard there was an explosion at the SDF facility and also heard there were injuries but we don't have further details," said Yuta Matsuda, a local official from Yomitan village in Okinawa, speaking to AFP. There was no evacuation order issued for nearby communities, local authorities said. The Kadena Air Base is the largest US military installation in the Asia-Pacific region. Okinawa hosts the majority of US military forces in Japan, a long-standing point of tension among residents. READ MORE: Japanese authorities investigate US marine over assault, rape allegations Separately, Japan's defence ministry said a Chinese aircraft carrier group, led by the Liaoning, entered Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) over the weekend for the first time before conducting drills involving fighter jets. The group included two missile destroyers and a fast combat support ship, and passed roughly 300 km southwest of Minamitori Island, the ministry said. "We think the Chinese military is trying to improve its operational capability and ability to conduct operations in distant areas," a ministry spokesperson said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Monday that Tokyo had conveyed an 'appropriate message' to Beijing, though he stopped short of confirming a formal protest.
The Star
6 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Explosion reported at US air base in Japan
The first gate of the US military's Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. - Yomiuri Shimbun file TOKYO: An explosion occurred at a Japanese military facility inside a US air base in Okinawa, officials told AFP, with local media reporting non-life-threatening injuries. A defence ministry spokesman said they had received reports of an explosion at the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) facility inside Kadena Air Base in the southern Japanese region. Jiji Press and other local media said four injuries had been reported but none were life-threatening. Public broadcaster NHK said, citing unnamed defence ministry sources, that the explosion may have occurred at a temporary storage site for unexploded bombs, with officials trying to confirm the situation. "We've heard there was an explosion at the SDF facility and also heard there were injuries but we don't have further details," said Yuta Matsuda, a local official of Yomitan village in Okinawa. - AFP
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Explosion reported at US air base in Japan
TOKYO: An explosion occurred at a Japanese military facility inside a US air base in Okinawa, officials told AFP, with local media reporting non-life-threatening injuries. A defense ministry spokesman said they had received reports of an explosion at the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) facility inside Kadena Air Base in the southern Japanese region. Jiji Press and other local media said four injuries had been reported but none were life-threatening. Public broadcaster NHK said, citing unnamed defense ministry sources, that the explosion may have occurred at a temporary storage site for unexploded bombs, with officials trying to confirm the situation. 'We've heard there was an explosion at the SDF facility and also heard there were injuries but we don't have further details,' Yuta Matsuda, a local official of Yomitan village in Okinawa, told AFP.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- General
- Straits Times
Explosion, injuries reported at US air base in Japan's Okinawa
F15 fighter jets at Japan's Air-Self Defence Force Naha Base during a tsunami respone training on Sept 8, 2023. PHOTO: NAHA_AIRBASE/X Explosion, injuries reported at US air base in Japan's Okinawa Tokyo - An explosion occurred at a Japanese military facility inside a US air base in Okinawa on June 9, officials told AFP, with local media reporting non-life-threatening injuries. A defence ministry spokesman said they had received reports of an explosion at the Japan Self-Defence Forces (SDF) facility inside Kadena Air Base in the southern Japanese region. Jiji Press and other local media said four injuries had been reported but none were life-threatening. Public broadcaster NHK said, citing unnamed defence ministry sources, that the explosion may have occurred at a temporary storage site for unexploded bombs, with officials trying to confirm the situation. 'We've heard there was an explosion at the SDF facility and also heard there were injuries but we don't have further details,' said Mr Yuta Matsuda, a local official of Yomitan village in Okinawa. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Explosion reported at US air base in Japan
Kadena Air Base (right) and US Air Station Futenma can be seen in an aerial view of central Okinawa Island. Photo: AFP / JINHEE LEE An explosion occurred at a Japanese military facility inside a US air base in Okinawa, officials told AFP, with local media reporting non-life-threatening injuries. A defence ministry spokesman said they had received reports of an explosion at the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) facility inside Kadena Air Base in the southern Japanese region. Jiji Press and other local media said four injuries had been reported but none were life-threatening. Public broadcaster NHK said, citing unnamed defence ministry sources, that the explosion may have occurred at a temporary storage site for unexploded bombs, with officials trying to confirm the situation. "We've heard there was an explosion at the SDF facility and also heard there were injuries but we don't have further details," Yuta Matsuda, a local official of Yomitan village in Okinawa, told AFP. - AFP
