Taliban capture U.S. soldier

A soldier mans a weapon at the rear of a U.S. Army helicopter over Afghanistan in May.
A U.S. soldier has been captured by militants in Afghanistan, the U.S. military and the Taliban said Thursday.

The unidentified soldier has been missing since Tuesday. U.S. forces are exhausting all resources to find the soldier, the military said. “We are not providing any further details at this time, in order to protect the welfare of the soldier,” a military statement said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the abduction. The U.S. soldier was kidnapped along with three Afghan soldiers, Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said. The U.S. soldier visited a military post in the Yousaf Khel district and got drunk, Sangeen said. He was ambushed while returning to his car and was taken to a safe place, Sangeen said. CNN could not independently verify Sangeen’s claims.

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A source with the U.S. military denied the claim that the soldier was drunk. “The Taliban are known for lying and what they are claiming are not true,” the source said. The soldier’s family has been informed, the military said.

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