American Soldier Believed Captured by Taliban

From the Los Angeles Times, "American Soldier Believed Captured in Afghanistan":

An American soldier is believed to have been captured by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said today.

The soldier has been missing from his unit since Tuesday, said Army Capt. Elizabeth Mathias. Citing concern for his safety, she did not disclose the circumstances of his disappearance, or explain how military authorities had concluded that he was being held, or say whether there had been any communication with insurgents about the missing man.

The brief military statement was not definitive about a capture having occurred; Mathias said the soldier in question was "believed" to have fallen into the hands of "militant forces."

There was no immediate public claim of responsibility from any insurgent group. A number of different militant commanders, not all of them affiliated with the Taliban, operate in eastern Afghanistan.

However, the Reuters news agency quoted a senior Taliban commander, Mullah Sangeen, as saying the soldier was captured earlier this week as he left a base in Paktika province on patrol.

See also CNN. Plus, Dan Riehl has more on the new U.S. offensive in southern Afghanistan (via Memeorandum); but check Greyhawk for the military angle and updates.