VILNIUS, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. armored vehicle that sank in a swamp near the Pabrade training area in eastern Lithuania has been recovered after a six-day search, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene confirmed on Monday.
According to the minister, the vehicle weighed nearly 70 tonnes and became deeply lodged in the mud. Lithuanian military police and U.S. investigators are currently working at the scene.
The Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported that the incident has claimed the lives of four U.S. soldiers riding the armored vehicle, and the country's prosecutors have opened a pre-trial investigation into their deaths.
However, the U.S. Army only confirmed that the tracked vehicle the soldiers had been operating was found in a swamp. They have yet to announce any casualties, still describing the status quo of the U.S. servicemen as "missing."
The search and rescue operation was launched on March 25 to locate four U.S. servicemen and a tracked vehicle that went missing during a training exercise in the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade.
The large-scale rescue effort involved both Lithuanian and U.S. forces, as well as Lithuanian authorities. Several dozen Polish troops equipped with specialized equipment also joined the operation. ■