A US Marine has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman in Okinawa, Japan

A US Marine has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman in Okinawa, Japan

Japanese local authorities have announced that a US Marine has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the discovery of a woman's body in a hotel on the island of Okinawa.

Sana Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, described the incident as a "brutal and shocking" robbery and murder, and said he demanded the United States monitor the behavior of its military forces and exercise stricter discipline.

Japan's Anacheki TV channel identified the victim as Yagi Anna, 39, and the suspect as Devin Jacob Ballard, 20. Ballard is stationed at the US Marine Corps Base in Putnam.

In a message on social media, the US Marine Corps announced that it is cooperating closely with Japanese authorities regarding the allegations against one of its soldiers. The institution also expressed sympathy to the victim's family. Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's defense minister, said the woman's body was found early Saturday morning in a hotel in the city of Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture.

Koizumi wrote in a message on social networks: "Such incidents are completely unacceptable and make me very angry." He added: "Incidents and accidents involving US military forces cause great concern among local residents and must never be repeated."

The US Embassy in Tokyo has announced that it is fully cooperating with the Japanese government and local police to investigate this case. Japan's foreign ministry also announced on Sunday that it had summoned George Glass, the American ambassador in Tokyo, to tell him about this incident.

Okinawa hosts several US military bases and tens of thousands of US troops.