Army soldier killed, seven injured in training in North Carolina
(Reuters) - A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier was killed and seven other service members were injured during a training exercise on Thursday at the U.S. Army base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the military said.
The incident occurred during U.S. Army Special Operations Command demolitions training, with the soldiers involved taken by air and ground to multiple hospitals, according to a statement from the command.
The extent of the injuries of the seven wounded soldiers and the cause of the incident at the base outside Fayetteville were not released.
Lieutenant Colonel Rob Bockholt, a base spokesman, said he could not confirm local media reports of an explosion occurring during the exercise.
"What exactly happened is under investigation," he said.
The soldier who died was identified as Staff Sergeant Alexander Dalida, 32, of Dunstable, Massachusetts.
He was a student in the Special Forces Engineer Course at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, at Fort Bragg, the military said in a statement.
"Staff Sergeant Dalida's death is a reminder that a soldier's job is inherently dangerous," Major General Kurt Sonntag, commander of the Special Warfare Center and School, said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Staff Sergeant Dalida's family and friends," he added.
On Wednesday, 15 Marines were injured when an amphibious assault vehicle caught fire during training at Camp Pendleton in California, the Marine Corps said.
(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Peter Cooney)
