Seven American troops and an Iraqi army interpreter came under attack Saturday morning during a patrol of a Sunni stronghold south of Baghdad, leaving five dead and three missing, the military said.
Troops were searching for the three missing, using drone planes, jets and checkpoints throughout the area, according to the statement. Soldiers were also asking local leaders for information, the AP reported.
After the pre-dawn attack near Mahmoudiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad, nearby units heard blasts and a drone plane later observed two burning vehicles, the statement said. Troops who arrived later found five of the soldiers dead. The other three members of the patrol were gone, according to the statement.
The military refused to specify whether the Iraqi interpreter was among those killed or among the missing, citing security.
