Afghanistan – American Soldier Captured by Insurgents

Afghanistan – An American soldier has been captured in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

The soldier went missing on Tuesday, Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said. She said she could not provide further information.

The military was using “all our resources to find him and provide for his safe return,” Mathias said.

The soldier was not taking part in the major military operation launched in the southern Taliban stronghold of Helmand early Thursday.

Thousands of U.S. Marines and hundreds of Afghan troops poured into Taliban-infested villages with armor and helicopters in the first major operation under President Barack Obama’s strategy to stabilize the country.

The offensive was launched shortly after 1 a.m. local time in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold and the world’s largest opium poppy producing area. The goal is to clear insurgents from the hotly contested region before the nation’s Aug. 20 presidential election.