US sailor deploying to Middle East injured in monkey attack in Thailand

A U.S. sailor assigned to a mine countermeasures ship was scratched by a monkey in Thailand, sidelining him from a minesweeping mission in the Middle East, according to Navy officials.

The monkey attack occurred in Phuket, where the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Chief was moored briefly to refuel. Axios first reported the monkey attack Thursday.

“The sailor received medical care and was transferred back to Japan for further care,” Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the Navy’s 7th Fleet, said in an emailed statement. ”There were no operational impacts or delays to Chief."

Navy officials confirmed the service member received only a light scratch, but protocol required a medical transfer because of the brush with a wild animal.

The Navy did not specify the species of monkey involved in the attack.

The incident occurred just days after two U.S. soldiers were wounded in an encounter with a bear in a remote area of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, while conducting a land navigation exercise.

The Army said in a Monday statement the soldiers were treated for serious injuries at an Anchorage hospital and had been discharged.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which is investigating the incident, attributed their survival to bear spray.

The Chief, meanwhile, is still set to join the minesweeping mission in the highly contested Strait of Hormuz, a choke point for about 20% of global energy supplies.

Iran imposed a blockade on the strait amid U.S. and Israeli strikes against the country, while the U.S. has fought back with a counter-blockade.

In an effort to end Iran’s disruption of shipping, the U.S. is trying to secure the strait from mines. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned during a press briefing Friday that any attempts by Iran to lay more mines would be a violation of an ongoing ceasefire.