TORONTO – Three missing Afghan soldiers were taken into custody by border guards at the Rainbow Bridge as they tried to enter Canada, according to media reports on Monday.
The three soldiers had been in the United States for 11 days for training at Camp Edwards on Joint Base Cape Cod and were last seen at a shopping mall in Hyannis, Massachusetts during a day off according to NBC News.
The three Afghan National Army soldiers were taking part in a joint training program between Afghanistan and the United States.
The soldiers have been identified as Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Capt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada and Capt. Noorullah Aminyar.
He added there’s no information to suggest public safety was at risk. Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters the 14 Afghan soldiers had been “thoroughly vetted” prior to coming to the United States.
But Governor Deval Patrick told reporters Monday there was some speculation the three soldiers were trying to defect.
“They were vetted by the military. They were cleared by the military,” Patrick said. “There is a lot of speculation within the military that they may be trying to defect.”
– With files from The Associated Press
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