Two American soldiers disappeared in western Afghanistan after a routine resupply mission, and more than 25 NATO and Afghan security forces members were wounded during the search mission for them, the alliance said Friday.

Officials indicated it was unlikely the two missing had been taken captive.

NATO forces headquarters in Afghanistan said the two paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, went missing on Wednesday.

During the search operation to locate them, more than 25 NATO and Afghan national security forces members were wounded, said Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale, a NATO spokesman.

"Initial reports indicate they were wounded due to insurgent activity," Breasseale said.

He could not say how many of the wounded were Afghan and how many were NATO, nor was the nationality of the NATO soldiers released.

The wounded were being treated in a coalition forces facility in Afghanistan, the alliance said in a statement.

Local police said the two were Americans who were swept away by a river in the western province of Badghis.

NATO did not specify where the incident took place, or provide any details of the mission.

Military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to command policy, indicated that they did not suspect the case was similar to that of an American soldier who was captured by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan on June 30.

"We continue exhaustive search and rescue operations to locate our missing service members," spokeswoman Navy Capt. Jane Campbell said in the NATO statement. "We are doing everything we can to find them."

Western regional police Chief Gen. Ikram Uddin Yawar said two American soldiers were swept away by a river while trying to save two boxes that had fallen into the water while being airdropped during a resupply mission in the Bala Murghab district of Badghis province. Continued...