May 23, 2007

Body of 1 Missing Soldier Found (UPDATED and BUMPED)

Via Reuters:

HILLA, Iraq, May 23 (Reuters) - The half-naked body of one of three missing U.S. soldiers was found on Wednesday in the Euphrates River in the town of Mussayab south of Baghdad, police said.

The U.S. military said it was investigating reports that a body had been found in a canal in the area.

Hilla police spokesman Captain Muthanna al-Maamouri said there were bullet wounds to the torso and head of the body, which was wearing U.S. Army-issue pants and boots and had a tattoo on the left arm.

Maamouri said the body had been turned over to U.S. forces.

UPDATE: VOI: Bodies of Three Kidnapped Soldiers Found

Babel, May 23, (VOI) - Iraqi police forces in Babel province found on Wednesday two bodies believed to belong to two of the kidnapped U.S. soldiers near al-Furat river in al-Musayab region, 50 km northwest of Hilla, a police source said.

"Two bodies in U.S. uniform were found by Babel police forces near al-Furat river. They bore signs of torture," the source, who asked not to be named, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). "The police handed the bodies to the U.S. army and cordoned off the area," he also said. No comment was available from the U.S. army on the incident.

H/t crosspatch in the comments.

I am heartbroken but not surprised by this development. May God comfort the famlies of these brave men, as well as all of the troops who have searching unrelentingly to find their missing comrades. RIP Spc. Alex Jimenez, Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., and Pvt. Byron Fouty.