The military has launched an investigation into the death of a young officer of an overseas military contingent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week, officials said Tuesday.

The 24-year-old was initially found unconscious on the rooftop of the Akh unit’s base Monday morning but was later pronounced dead after being moved to a local military hospital, according to the military.

The officer of the Army Special Warfare Command is known to have been deployed to the unit in November last year.

The military plans to send personnel to the UAE later in the day to repatriate the officer’s body and investigate the exact cause of death. The investigation team will also include police officers from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

Under the law, the military police is to transfer a case involving a troop fatality to the police if there are signs of any criminal activity.

The military is currently putting less weight on the possibility of foul play based on the circumstances at the time of the officer’s
discovery, a source said without providing details.

The Akh unit has been carrying out various missions since its establishment in 2011, including training UAE troops on special operations and protecting Korean nationals in the region in case of emergencies. Akh means brother in Arabic.

Source: Yonhap News Agency