BAGHDAD // The U.S. military said yesterday that it had captured two militants from al-Qaida in Iraq wanted in the kidnapping of three American soldiers in May.

The men were captured during an air and ground assault Tuesday near the city of Iskandariyah, 25 miles south of Baghdad.

The paratroopers struck the town of Jurf al-Sakhr, which borders the western province of Anbar, which until recently has been a sanctuary for Islamic extremists.

Three soldiers - Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, Spc. Alex R. Jimenez and Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr. - were abducted May 12 when fighters ambushed two U.S. Humvees that were on stakeout. Two other soldiers and an interpreter were found dead at the scene of the attack, outside the town of Mahmoudiya.

The body of Anzack, who was from Torrance, Calif., was found floating in the Euphrates River a few days later. An insurgent umbrella group, which includes al-Qaida in Iraq, later said in a video that it had executed the remaining soldiers and showed their dog tags.   …..more