3 American soldiers found dead in Lithuania, 1 still disappeared after the vehicle swallowed by the peat bog

The bodies of three American army soldiers who disappeared in Lithuania during a training exercise last week were found, and we remain disappeared, military officials announced on Monday.

The soldiers disappeared on the morning of March 25 after their armored recovery vehicle M88A2 Hercules overwhelmed in a peat bog During a mission of repairing and towing a immobilized tactical vehicle.

The identity of the soldiers, all of the combat team of the 1st brigade, of the 3rd infantry division, is retained awaiting family notification, said the public affairs office of the American army and Africa.

Research and recovery operations are underway for the remaining fourth soldier.

The soldiers had been deployed in Lithuania to support Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently laid in Fort Stewart, Georgia, military officials said. The Lithuanian armed forces and the police worked alongside them during the training exercise last week.

Their 63 -ton armored vehicle was removed from the peat peat early Monday morning after a six -day arduous effort.

Earlier this week, the US military said hundreds of soldiers and staff in charge of the law enforcement, American and Lithuanian, traveled the thick forest and the swampy land to find the missing soldiers.

The recovery effort required specialized equipment to stabilize soft soil in the region. The effort included Lithuanian military helicopters, fixed wings planes, unmanned air systems, as well as excavators, lock and slurry pumps, and several hundred tonnes of gravel and earth.

“The soldiers we lost in this tragedy were not only soldiers – they were part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that resonates throughout the Marne division, both in front and at home, “said major-general Christopher Norrie, 3rd inf. Div. Commander the General, said in a statement.

“We stand in sorrow with the families and relatives of these extraordinary” Dogface soldiers “during this unimaginable period. But research is not over as long as everyone is not at home,” the statement said.

The American army and the Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

Lithuania has been a former Soviet Republic and a member of NATO since 2004. Since 2014, it has welcomed hundreds of American troops as part of the “Atlantic Resolve” operation, which began after Russia seized Ukraine Crimea.

This is a story of rupture. Please return for updates.