Two NATO soldiers reported missing in Afghanistan, search underway
Friday, November 6, 2009
The NATO-led force in Afghanistan issued a statement on Friday saying that that two of its troops went missing on Wednesday while on a routine supply mission.
The statement said a search operation is under way, but did not give many details. A NATO press officer said that "We continue exhaustive search and rescue operations to locate our missing service members. We are doing everything we can to find them."
Local police said that the soldiers were likely swept away by a river in Badghis, a western province, while they were trying to get to an airdropped food parcel that had fallen into the river. Officials said it was not likely that they were taken captive.
"The families of these service members have been notified about their loved ones' status and we will continue to keep them informed as information becomes available," a press officer said.
Sources
- "2 NATO Soldiers Missing in Afghanistan" — VOA News, November 6, 2009
- "Nato search for missing soldiers" — BBC News Online, November 6, 2009
- "2 coalition service members missing in Afghanistan" — Associated Press, November 6, 2009