Two adults have been arrested in Portugal after young brothers aged three and five were found abandoned in a wooded area near a roadside.

The children were discovered by a passing driver, who found them carrying backpacks containing food and water. However, the boys had no identification documents with them at the time they were located.

According to reports, the children had been left blindfolded in the wooded area before being found. The circumstances surrounding how long the boys had been alone remain unclear.

Portuguese authorities have taken the two adults into custody in connection with the abandonment. The relationship between the arrested individuals and the children has not been officially confirmed by police.

The boys are now in the care of Portuguese child protection services while the investigation continues. Local authorities are working to determine the full circumstances of how the children came to be abandoned in the remote location.