RIGA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Canadian soldier deployed on the NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia has gone missing, authorities confirmed on Friday.
George Hohl, a vehicle technician with the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, has been reported missing since Tuesday and was last seen in Adazi, said Lieutenant General Steve Boivin, commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, in a statement.
Adazi, a municipality northeast of the capital Riga, is home to a military base where the brigade is stationed.
About 2,000 Canadian troops are currently deployed in Latvia, according to a news release issued on Aug. 26 by the Canadian Prime Minister's Office.
It is not clear whether the soldier was on or off duty when he disappeared. The Latvian law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation and the search is ongoing.
The investigation is led by the Latvian State Police with support from the brigade, the Military Police of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), "using all available resources," according to an NBS statement.
The missing soldier's next of kin has been informed, said the NBS. "Our thoughts are with the soldier's family and relatives." ■
