NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania

The Mauritanian army said late Wednesday that it lost contact with a military boat carrying seven soldiers while it was taking part in a rescue operation for a disabled vessel off the coast of the capital, Nouakchott.

A military statement said that communication with the boat was lost overnight as it headed to assist a vessel that had broken down northwest of Friendship Port in Nouakchott.

Air and naval forces were placed on high alert and immediately launched search operations, which were still ongoing as of 8.10 pm local time (2000GMT), the statement added.

The Coast Guard vessel Arkin successfully rescued the disabled boat and towed it to Nouakchott port with all crew members aboard. However, the fate of the military boat carrying the seven soldiers remains unknown, the army said.

Mauritania’s coastline, considered among the world’s richest fishing grounds, sees heavy traffic from commercial ships and fishing boats, which at times leads to collisions or technical incidents linked to fishing equipment.