Search ends for remains of British soldier abducted, killed and secretly buried by IRA in 1977

A search in Ireland for the remains of a British soldier killed and secretly buried by Irish republican paramilitaries almost 50 years ago has ended without success, authorities said Wednesday.

Robert Nairac, a British Army captain, was abducted by the IRA from a pub in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, in May 1977 while working undercover and attempting to gather intelligence.

The 28-year-old soldier was taken to a nearby forest across the border with the Republic of Ireland where he was tortured and shot dead. The location of his remains has been a mystery ever since, the BBC reported.