A pair of polar bears attacked and killed a worker at a remote government radar site in the Canadian Arctic, the facility's operator said Friday.

The attack took place Thursday at the outpost on Brevoort Island, in Canada's far northeastern Nunavut territory, said Nasittuq Corporation, the logistics company contracted to operate the site.

"An attack by two polar bears has resulted in the loss of one of our valued employees," it said. "Nasittuq employees responded to the scene and one of the animals was put down."

The site is one of dozens of North Warning System outposts dotting Canada's far north, forming a surveillance tripwire against aircraft incursions or cruise missile attacks.

The radar coverage spans over 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) from Alaska to Labrador in eastern Canada.