Two U.S. government officials were accidentally shot and wounded by Eswatini's defence force during ​an anti-smuggling operation last week, the ‌government of the Southern African monarchy said.

Acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said in a statement late on Monday that the officials were injured on Friday in the rural village of Maphiveni, about a two-hour drive from the capital, Mbabane.

It was not immediately clear what the U.S. ​personnel were doing in the area, but Mdluli said the army had launched an investigation into the circumstances ​surrounding the incident.

She added that Eswatini was ​in communication with the U.S. government as the investigation progressed ‌and ⁠remained committed to strengthening its longstanding relationship with Washington.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Eswatini has maintained ​close ties ​with the ⁠U.S. under President Donald Trump, with the kingdom receiving more than 30 third-country ​deportees.

In total it has agreed to ​host ⁠160 under a $5.1 million agreement that has been challenged by lawyers who say deportees are being ⁠detained ​despite having already served sentences ​for crimes committed in the U.S.