Local forestry officials have showed soldiers how to assemble and load bear traps onto trucks. Photo: AP PHOTO

Japan has deployed troops to the country's rugged north to help trap bears after local authorities said besieged communities were struggling to cope with an unprecedented wave of attacks.

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The operation began in Kazuno, a small town nestled among forested mountains that has registered a sharp rise in bear sightings.

For weeks, residents have been urged to avoid the thick woods and stay indoors after dark to keep clear of bears foraging near homes for food.

"Even if just te

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