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Group Claims It Kidnapped U.S. Soldiers
UPDATE: EFLAn Iraqi insurgent umbrella group claimed Monday it had kidnapped two U.S. soldiers who were seized south of Baghdad. "Your brothers in the military wing of the Mujahedeen Shura Council kidnapped the two American soldiers near Youssifiya," the group said in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site. In Baghdad, the U.S. military said Monday that seven American troops have been wounded, three insurgents have been killed and 34 detained during an intensive search for the soldiers. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and dive teams had been deployed to find the two men. The men went missing Friday during an attack on their checkpoint in the volatile Sunni area south of Baghdad that left one of their comrades dead. Caldwell said seven other U.S. service members had been wounded in action during the search efforts that began Friday night. The Defense Department identified the missing men as Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore. It said Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was killed in the attack. The three were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. Caldwell said more than 8,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops were participating in the search. "While searching for our soldiers, we have engaged in a number of significant actions against the anti-Iraqi forces," he said, adding that three insurgents had been killed and 34 taken into custody. He also said the military had received 63 tips and had launched 12 cordon and search operations, eight air assaults and 280 flight hours were logged. "Approximately 12 villages have been cleared in the area, and we continue to engage local citizens for help and information leading to the whereabouts of our soldiers," he said, without elaborating. Posted by: GK 2006-06-19 |
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