Three Soldiers Missing in Macedonia
By Laura Myers
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, March 31, 1999; 8:29 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Three U.S. Army soldiers were missing in Macedonia near the Yugoslav border Wednesday night after possibly being captured by members of the Serb military or police while on a reconnaissance mission, the Pentagon and NATO officials said.
An immediate search and rescue mission was launched, involving ground and helicopter teams, U.S. officials said.
The Army team had been on a daytime reconnaissance mission in the Kumanovo area of Macedonia near the southern Yugoslavia border when they reported ''they received small arms fire and said they were surrounded,'' according to NATO.
''No more was heard from the patrol,'' a NATO statement said.
NATO officials didn't say who had them surrounded, but a Pentagon spokesman said it was presumed to be Serb Army, paramilitary units or perhaps special police forces.
''We believe they have possibly been abducted,'' said Col. Richard Bridges, a Pentagon spokesman. ''Right now there's a search and rescue effort on.''
At the White House, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger advised President Clinton of the missing soldiers ''and will keep him informed as the information becomes available,'' said NSC spokesman David Leavy.
''We're still determined to push forward on our sustained air campaign and the operation will continue'' against military targets in Yugoslavia, Leavy said.
Leavy declined to provide further details ''that could potentially jeopardize the safety or well being of these guys.''
NATO forces, including ground and helicopter teams, and Macedonian police immediately launched an immediate search for the missing team, U.S. officials said.
The Army reconnaissance team was a part of the former U.N. peacekeeping operation in Macedonia called ''Able Sentry,'' which ended in February, Bridges said.
The force of about 1,200 troops included about 350 Americans, who remained in the region following the March 24 start of NATO airstrikes in Yugoslavia against Serb military targets.
Clinton has counseled from the beginning of the airstrikes against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic that Americans would be put at risk during NATO operations.
Last Saturday, an F-117a stealth fighter went down near Belgrade, the Yugoslav capital, after it was apparently hit with a Serb anti-aircraft missile. It was the first time the radar-evading aircraft had gone down in combat.
The American pilot was rescued six hours later.
© Copyright 1999 The Associated Press
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