GENEVA (AFP) - ZURICH (AP) - A mundane exercise routine has failed to turn a diplomatic incident when a company of Swiss soldiers had strayed into the small neighboring state of Liechtenstein. The Swiss army which prohibits any offensive mission abroad has yet actually crossed the border with Liechtenstein at a night march, said Friday an official with embarrassment for the Swiss Army. The commander of a troop of 170 armed soldiers got lost in the Alps on Wednesday night to Thursday night during maneuvers due to poor climatic conditions, said the spokesman of the land forces of the Swiss Army Daniel Reist, confirming information from speaking daily "Blick". Deviating from their initial trajectory, the soldiers dug several kilometers into the principality, east of Switzerland , he acknowledged. "It was so dark at that time," he told one soldier to tabloid. Soon realizing his mistake, the captain immediately ordered his troops to turn back. This is not the first time that Switzerland invaded by mistake its peaceful small neighbor. In December 1985, during an artillery exercise Swiss deflected a series of rockets by a violent storm in winter, fell on the territory of the principality. Bannwald Forest, a protected area had caught fire. The incident provoked a long quarrel between the Swiss Ministry of Defence and Liechtenstein, Bern and had to pay millions of Swiss francs in compensation, as the "Blick".
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