“Leftist extremists” are being blamed for an explosion outside a US Army base south of Tokyo late Monday. Past attacks have been more symbolic than dangerous as injuries or significant damage are rare. Around 50,000 US troops currently occupy Japan in about 90 different military facilities. Large scale protests against the US military presence have largely occurred in Okinawa, where 75 percent of the facilities remain. Okinawa was surrendered to US control in 1952 and was a US military colony until twenty years later in 1972 when it was �reverted� back to Japan.

The Army was investigating the blast, said an official at Camp Zama who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that there were no reports of injuries or damage. “A small explosion was heard in the vicinity of the base,” said Maj. David Smith, a Pentagon spokesman. “It did not occur on the base.”

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 his name as Okamura said Zama residents reported hearing the explosion around 11 p.m. and police were investigating.

In 2002, two blasts were heard outside Camp Zama, and Japanese police found a metal projectile and a crude mortar made from a metal pipe nearby. Investigators blamed radical guerrillas for the explosions, which caused no injuries.

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