From Graham Bowley, New York Times:  A soldier from Georgia belonging to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan has been missing since Wednesday in the southwest of the country, the coalition said on Friday. . . .

“I can confirm that there is an ISAF service member from Georgia who is based in southern Afghanistan who is listed as whereabouts unknown,” he [ISAF spokesman Maj. Martyn Crighton] said. “He was last seen on the 19th.” Major Crighton could not say which province in the southwest the soldier was serving in or whether he was on patrol duty outside a base when he was last seen. . . .

Georgia currently has a small contingent of 1,561 soldiers in Afghanistan, mostly serving in Helmand Province. . . .

“We have no idea why he left his base,” said Niamatullah [governor of Musa Qala district of Helmand Province], who like many Afghans goes by one name. “He was not missed during a patrol nor was he taken away by someone. He walked out of the base by himself. . . .”

In its statement, the Georgian Defense Ministry said all Georgian units in Afghanistan had been moved to the “highest security alert posture” after the disappearance. The report of a missing soldier is rare. The only other ISAF service member in Afghanistan who is classified as missing is Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier who is known to be held by the Taliban.  (photo: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Image: ref%20rl%2012%2021%2012%20Georgia%20ISAF.jpg