13 US soldiers injured in road accident in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Lithuania – Lithuanian officials say 13 U.S. soldiers have suffered minor injuries in a road accident as four armoured vehicles collided during a military exercise in the Baltic country.

The Defence Ministry says the U.S. Stryker armoured vehicles were en route to a drill site in Prienai district, central Lithuania, when Thursday’s crash took place.

It added the injured soldiers were rushed to a hospital for examinations. No civilians were involved but a road at the site has remained closed, according to the ministry.

The drill is part of a major U.S.-led military exercise Saber Strike that kicked off in NATO’s eastern flank in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Sunday with 18,000 soldiers from 19 nations.