US soldier killed in noncombat incident in Kosovo

A U.S. soldier deployed to Kosovo was killed in a “non-combat related incident” over the weekend, the Pentagon announced on Monday.

Pfc. Alexander Blake Klass, 20, of Willamina, Ore., died as the result of the July 4 incident at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, according to a Defense Department statement.

No additional details were provided, and the death remains under investigation.

Klass, who had been supporting Operation Joint Guardian — a NATO peacekeeping force that has been in the country since 1999 — was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The unit is part of the Oregon National Guard, based in Springfield.