Four US soldiers reportedly found dead after disappearing in Lithuania training area
Four American soldiers have reportedly been found dead after their have mysteriously disappeared during a training exercise in Lithuania, sparking a large-scale search operation.
The soldiers went missing from the General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in Pabrade, Lithuania, around 4.45pm yesterday, along with a tracked vehicle, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Lithuanian and foreign troops were immediately deployed to aid in the search, with helicopters from the Air Force and State Border Guard Service also joining the effort.
In a statement, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said: "Currently, the possible location of the incident has been identified and a search and rescue operation is underway, led by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, with additional capabilities from the Fire Protection and Rescue Department and other institutions," Unconfirmed reports suggest that the missing soldiers may have been traveling in an M88 recovery vehicle - one of the largest armored recovery vehicles currently used by the US Armed Forces.
According to the US military, the missing soldiers are from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. They were participating in "scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident", the US Army stated,
Lieutenant General Charles Constanza, the commanding general of V Corps, expressed his gratitude towards the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders for their swift action during search operations, stating: "I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations," and adding, "It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders."
Previously, Vilnius police department notified officials at 7.20pm about the disappearance of three soldiers and a vehicle post-training exercise in eastern Lithuania; however, recent reports indicate it is actually four missing soldiers. Authorities are currently piecing together the incident details as the search persists.
Major Gintautas Ciunis, a spokesman for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, indicated to local media that the individuals unaccounted for were not from Lithuania but withheld further specifics, saying: "I can only say that they are foreign soldiers."
The General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in Pabrade is situated less than 6 miles from the Belarus border.
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