Ft. Drum soldiers said: “The capture of three 10th Mountain Division soldiers by insurgent forces in Iraq will only unite America and strengthen the military’s determination.” –The New York Times
U.S. Army Spc. Alex Jimenez, 24, from Lawrence, Mass., of Delta Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment has an audience of Iraqi soldiers as he lifts weights near Youssifiyah, 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq in this Monday, Feb. 5, 2007 file photo. Jimenez has been identified as by the Pentagon as among those whose whereabouts are unknown after a May 12, 2007 ambush in Iraq. The attack near Mahmoudiya, in a Sunni stronghold 20 miles south of Baghdad, left four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi translator dead, and three other soldiers missing. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr. (NBC 11)
Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr. is among three missing soldiers in Iraq. (Maya Alleruzzo / AP)
Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nev. is one of the soldiers missing after the attack outside of Mahmoudiya on Saturday. (KTVN)
The Pentagon believes it was a planned snatch involving at least 10 terrorists.
These three soldiers and heroes were killed in the attack.
Pfc. Christopher E. Murphy, 21, of Lynchburg, Va. (left), Private First Class Daniel Weston Courneya (19) of Vermontville, Michigan (middle), and Sergeant First Class James David Connell, Jr. (40) from Lake City, Kentucky were three of the four American soldiers killed in an attack about 20 miles south of Baghdad on Saturday. The other soldier who was killed in the attack was burnt so badly that he has still not been identified. An Iraqi translator was also killed in the attack where 3 US soldiers went missing.
The Pentagon released information on the missing US soldiers who were ambushed outside of Mahmoudiya this weekend.
AP reports:
The Pentagon confirmed the dead as Sgt. 1st Class James D. Connell Jr., 40, of Lake City, Tenn.; Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19, of Nashville, Mich.; and Pfc. Christopher E. Murphy, 21, of Lynchburg, Va.
The four other soldiers are Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nev.; Spc. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Mass.; Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, Calif.; and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich. The Pentagon said one of those four was among the dead, but it could not confirm which one.
UPDATE: The military says that the captors of the three US soldiers near Mahmoudiya are isolated. The US says the terrorists are isolated in towns inside the “Triangle of Death” south of the capital.
UPDATE 2: The US has offered $200,000 for information on the missing troops.
Previously:
5 US Soldiers Killed… 3 Missing in Mahmoudiya
Al Qaeda Claims It Is Holding Missing US “Crusader” Soldiers!!
Al Qaeda Says It Will Align Itself With Democrats
Al Qaeda Warns US to Stop Searching For Missing Soldiers
Captured US Soldiers in Iraq Are From Ft. Drum
