Defense

3 Afghan officers vanish from Cape Cod

by Martin Matishak - 09/22/14 10:18 AM ET

Three Afghanistan National Army officers disappeared from a training exercise in Cape Cod, Massachusetts over the weekend, according to media reports.

The trio had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.

{mosads}The soldiers arrived at Camp Edwards in Sandwich, Mass., on Sept. 11 and were last seen at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis. They were reported missing by base security personnel on Saturday night.

The three men are senior military officers from Afghanistan and were cleared by the State Department to participate in the exercise, Massachusetts National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. James Sahady told The Boston Globe.

The men are not considered a threat to the public, according to military officials, who have not released photos. Central Command is leading the investigation, the Globe reported.

Approximately 200 people from six countries are participating in the Regional Cooperation exercise, including about a dozen soldiers from Afghanistan, the AP said.

The two-week annual exercise, sponsored this year by Central Command, is intended to boost ties between the U.S. and partner nations.

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