Three Afghan Soldiers in U.S. for Training Reported Missing From Cape Cod Base

National Guard officials confirmed that three soldiers from the Afghan National Army have gone missing from Joint Base Cape Cod, reported WFXT-TV in Boston.

Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Capt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada, and Capt. Noorullah Aminyar — who were at the base for training exercises — were reported missing by base security Saturday night and have not been seen since, the station said.

“There is no indication they pose a threat to the public,” Massachusetts National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. James Sahady told the Cap Cod Times.

Image source: Massachusetts National Guard website

The three missing soldiers, along with 12 other members of the Afghan National Army, were taking part in a tactical strategies joint exercise that involved only officers and senior enlisted personnel, Sahady told the Times. The training took place at Camp Edwards on the base and is known as Regional Cooperation 2014, which lasts seven to 10 days, WBZ-TV reported.

Six countries, including the U.S., are participating in activities scheduled for completion by Wednesday, the Times added.

All the participants were vetted by U.S. Central Command and not restricted to the base, the Times added, except for scheduled duty.

The three soldiers arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 11, the paper reported.

Sahady told the Times they were last spotted Saturday night at the Cape Cod Mall.