Afghani insurgents have captured an American serviceman in the eastern part of the country on Tuesday. The abduction occurred as the soldier left a military base with three Afghani troops. He was taken when the group stopped at a checkpoint.
The group believed responsible, the Haqqani network, had previously kidnapped a reporter for the New York Times, David Rhode. The abducted soldier, whose name has not been released for security reasons, apparently walked off the base without warning and may have been intoxicated.
Intelligence indicates that the soldier is still being held in Afghanistan and has not been moved to another possible country, such as Pakistan or Iran. This incident happens as the United States is launching a major operation in the southern part of the nation.
The military is offering a $25,000 for information leading to his safe return.
"We have all available resources out there looking for him and hopefully providing for his safe return," Army spokeswoman Captain Elizabeth Mathias said.
An abduction of U.S. personnel has not been common in Afghanistan, as it has been in Iraq. It is unclear yet if this represents a new level of aggression on behalf of pro-Taliban and Al Qaeda related organizations.
