Explosion Outside U.S. Base In Japan

A small explosion occurred outside a U.S. Army base south of Tokyo late Monday, an Army official said. A Japanese news report said police suspected an attempted attack on the base.

The Army was investigating the blast, said an official at Camp Zama who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Kyodo News agency reported that police had found a "launch pad" near the base and suspected an attempted guerrilla attack. The Army could not immediately confirm what had caused the explosion.

A Kanagawa Prefecture police official who only gave the name Okamura said Zama residents reported hearing the explosion at around 11 p.m. and that police were investigating.