May 2007 abduction of US soldiers in Iraq

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Insurgents released images of the ID cards of two of the soldiers in early June 2007^[1]^[2]

The second-largest capture of American soldiers serving in the Iraq War occurred when Iraqi insurgents attacked a military outpost in Amiriyah, Baghdad, killing four US soldiers and an Iraqi aide before capturing Spc. Alex Jimenez, Pfc. Joseph Anzack and Pvt. Byron Fouty on May 12, 2007.

[edit] Timeline

While original reports suggested that al-Qaeda in Iraq might have been responsible for the disappearance of the soldiers, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility on May 14, stating that the attack was another reprisal for the Mahmudiyah incident in which 14-year old Abeer Qassim Hamza was gangraped by US soldiers before being murdered along with her family.^[3] The group issued a statement, saying "What you are doing in searching for your soldiers will lead to nothing but exhaustion and headaches. Your soldiers are in our hands. If you want their safety, do not look for them".

The capture represented the second-largest capture of US soldiers in the war, the worst since the March 23, 2003 capture of Jessica Lynch and five other soldiers.

General David Petraeus claimed that he didn't believe Islamic State of Iraq was responsible, but a local insurgent who was only "sort of" affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq.^[4]

A $200,000 reward was offered for information on the whereabouts of the soldiers, all of whom belonged to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division based in northern New York.^[5]

On May 17, New Iraqi Army forces detained 16 people described as "suspects" in the incident.^[6]

On May 19 US forces stormed a facility in Amiriyah and detained nine occupants, on a tip that they were related to the capture. It was announced that afternoon that one of the three soldiers was believed killed shortly after capture, while the other two remained prisoners.^[7] The same day, a search party for the missing soldiers came under attack, leaving one American soldier dead and four more wounded.^[8]

According to an Iraqi intelligence officer, two prisoners confessed to taking part in the attack, saying that a group of thirteen insurgents had attacked the outpost, and split into two group afterwards, with the ringleader taking the captured US soldiers with him.^[9] The Iraqi army has arrested more than 250 people suspected of ties to the attack.^[10]

On May 20, US forces drained a canal along the Euphrates after local villagers reported seeing body parts floating, but had no success.^[11]

On May 21, another 14 people were arrested within a 9-mile radius of the originally site of the kidnapping. Four others were detained and then released, in Jurf al-Sakhr, after two US Stryker companies entered the city to question rumoured relatives of the attackers.^[12]

On May 23, military officials informed the family of Joseph Anzack that a commanding officer had visually identified his body as being one pulled from the Euphrates River by Iraqi parol boats, although DNA tests were still pending.^[13] The body had two bullet holes in the head and one in the chest.

On June 4, The Islamic State of Iraq declared in a video posted on the internet than Byron and Alex were killed because the U.S refused to stop searching for them. They also claimed that they will not give the bodies of the two soldiers to their families and that the two men are buried. [1]

On January 8, 2008, Jimenez was promoted to Sergeant. Soldiers who are missing in action are considered in service until known otherwise, and are promoted depending on their level of education and training in the armed forces.^[14]