Four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania have died, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“Whilst I was speaking the news came out about four American soldiers who were killed in an incident in Lithuania,” Rutte told reporters in Warsaw on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
“This is still early news so we do not know the details. This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones,” he added.
U.S. officials announced a search was underway for the service members earlier in the day.
The soldiers were taking part in scheduled tactical training outside the capital of Vilnius, according to the military.
The U.S. embassy in Vilnius said the missing military members were part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
The Lithuanian military previously announced it was searching for the soldiers, tracking a vehicle that went missing on Tuesday.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
