VILNIUS, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of three U.S. soldiers who went missing last week have been found in a swamp at the Pabrade training area in Lithuania's Svencionys District, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement on Monday. The whereabouts of a fourth soldier remained unknown.

"Three U.S. Army soldiers (...) were found deceased in Lithuania today," the statement reads, adding that their identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has extended condolences over the deaths of the soldiers, Baltic News Service (BNS) reported.

Search and recovery operations continue for the remaining fourth soldier.

The search and recovery operation was launched on March 25 to locate four U.S. servicemen and a tracked vehicle that went missing during a training exercise in the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade. Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene confirmed on Monday that the armored vehicle had been recovered. It had sunk into a swamp and become deeply lodged in the mud.

The large-scale rescue operation has involved both Lithuanian and U.S. forces, along with other Lithuanian authorities. Several dozen Polish troops equipped with specialized equipment have also joined the effort. Enditem

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