The Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington said the three soldiers caught trying to cross the border into Canada do not pose a threat.Watch ReportThe Afghan soldiers had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, U.S. military officials said. They arrived at Camp Edwards on Sept. 11 and were last seen at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis on Saturday night.Soldiers had freedom to leave baseA source told Team 5's Karen Anderson the men were taken into custody at the Rainbow Bridge Canadian/US border crossing near Niagara Falls on Monday. The men told Customs Agents they were refugees, the source said.They were identified as Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Capt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada and Capt. Noorullah Aminyar."They were here for a multi-national military exercise, which had been scheduled for a long time. They have been here for a couple of weeks. There’s a lot of speculation that within the military they maybe be trying to defect," Gov. Deval Patrick said.The three were among 12 members of the Afghanistan National Army participating in a military exercise that focused on tactical strategies, said Lt. Col. James Sahady of the Massachusetts National Guard."We do not believe these men were ever any kind of a threat," Mirwais Nab, the Minister-Counsellor for the Afghanistan Embassy said.The Regional Cooperation training exercises have been held annually since 2004 to promote cooperation and interoperability among forces, build functional capacity, practice peacekeeping operations and enhance readiness.This year's exercise, which involves more than 200 participants from six nations including the U.S., wraps up Wednesday.Last month, Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was killed by an Afghan soldier in an attack in Afghanistan.Last weekend, two Afghan policemen in the Washington, D.C., for a DEA training program at Quantico, Virginia, also went missing while on a sightseeing trip to Georgetown, ABC News reported. The DEA said the two men left the group because they did not want to go back to Afghanistan.Nab said that two Afghan police officers who left an outing in Georgetown last week while training with the Drug Enforcement Administration are on a plane headed back to Afghanistan."Let that send a message to others who are coming for training that they have a commitment and will complete their service," Nab said.

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington said the three soldiers caught trying to cross the border into Canada do not pose a threat.

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The Afghan soldiers had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, U.S. military officials said. They arrived at Camp Edwards on Sept. 11 and were last seen at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis on Saturday night.

Soldiers had freedom to leave base

A source told Team 5's Karen Anderson the men were taken into custody at the Rainbow Bridge Canadian/US border crossing near Niagara Falls on Monday. The men told Customs Agents they were refugees, the source said.

They were identified as Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Capt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada and Capt. Noorullah Aminyar.

"They were here for a multi-national military exercise, which had been scheduled for a long time. They have been here for a couple of weeks. There’s a lot of speculation that within the military they maybe be trying to defect," Gov. Deval Patrick said.

The three were among 12 members of the Afghanistan National Army participating in a military exercise that focused on tactical strategies, said Lt. Col. James Sahady of the Massachusetts National Guard.

"We do not believe these men were ever any kind of a threat," Mirwais Nab, the Minister-Counsellor for the Afghanistan Embassy said.

The Regional Cooperation training exercises have been held annually since 2004 to promote cooperation and interoperability among forces, build functional capacity, practice peacekeeping operations and enhance readiness.

This year's exercise, which involves more than 200 participants from six nations including the U.S., wraps up Wednesday.

Last month, Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was killed by an Afghan soldier in an attack in Afghanistan.

Last weekend, two Afghan policemen in the Washington, D.C., for a DEA training program at Quantico, Virginia, also went missing while on a sightseeing trip to Georgetown, ABC News reported. The DEA said the two men left the group because they did not want to go back to Afghanistan.

Nab said that two Afghan police officers who left an outing in Georgetown last week while training with the Drug Enforcement Administration are on a plane headed back to Afghanistan.

"Let that send a message to others who are coming for training that they have a commitment and will complete their service," Nab said.