Three Soldiers Missing, Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility
First off, the specifics from the DoD.
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2007 – Five soldiers were killed in Iraq today and three others are currently missing following an attack near Mahmudiyah, a senior U.S. military officer reported.
“This morning at 4:44 a.m. in Iraq, a coalition force team of eight soldiers (seven Americans and an Iraqi Army interpreter), were attacked 12 miles west of Mahmudiyah,” Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a written statement. “As a result of this attack, five soldiers were killed in action and three are currently missing.”
A nearby coalition unit heard explosions during the attack and unsuccessfully attempted to establish communications. Coalition forces arrived within an hour, secured the site, and immediately initiated a search, Caldwell said.The general said coalition forces are currently using every means at their disposal to find the missing soldiers, and will continue these efforts until all are accounted for.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those killed in this attack and for the missing soldiers and their loved ones back home,” Caldwell said.
The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending final identification and notification of next of kin.
The specifics are as follows:
- Coalition forces heard an explosion at 4:44 a.m. this morning about 12 miles west of Mahmudiyah;
After an unmanned aerial vehicle observed two burning vehicles, a quick reaction force was dispatched, arriving on scene at 5:40 a.m.;
- The quick reaction force reported finding five members of the team killed in action and three others whose duty status and whereabouts are unknown;
Helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle, and fixed wing assets are being used to search in the vicinity;
- Checkpoints have been established throughout the area in a concerted effort to focus the search and prevent potential movement of missing soldiers out of the area;
Coalition forces have engaged with local leaders to enlist their support in providing any information they can, and these engagements continue.
From The Washington Times
BAGHDAD (AP) -- An al-Qaida front group announced Sunday it had captured American soldiers in a deadly attack the day before, as thousands of U.S. troops searched insurgent areas south of Baghdad for their three missing comrades.
The statement came on one of the deadliest days in the country in recent weeks, with at least 124 people killed or found dead. A suicide truck bomb tore through the offices of a Kurdish political party in northern Iraq, killing 50 people, and a car bombing in a crowded Baghdad market killed another 17.
Troops surrounded the town of Youssifiyah and told residents over loudspeakers to stay inside, residents said. They then methodically searched the houses, focusing on possible secret chambers under the floors where the soldiers might be hidden, residents said. The soldiers marked each searched house with a white piece of cloth.
Soldiers also searched cars entering and leaving the town, writing "searched" on the side of each vehicle they had inspected. Several people were arrested, witnesses said.
The Islamic State in Iraq offered no proof for its claim that it was behind the attack Saturday in Mahmoudiya that also killed four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi translator. But the Sunni area known as the "triangle of death" is a longtime al-Qaida stronghold.
If the claim proves true, it would mark one of the most brazen attacks by the umbrella Sunni insurgent group against U.S. forces here.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman for the U.S. military, said 4,000 U.S. troops backed by aircraft and intelligence units were scouring the farming area as the military made "every effort available to find our missing soldiers."
First thought: A trail of destruction would guarantee this wouldn't happen again. They don't fear us, so there is nothing keeping them from doing it.
Second thought: In no way am I even suggesting I knew what was going through the minds of these soldiers during this attack. However; I would rather take my own life than be shown on video having my head cut off.
