The U.S. military said on Sunday there was no indication to suggest that two Marines had been seized by militants in western Iraq, as earlier claimed by a militant group, but said checks were being made.
"There are no indications that Al Qaeda claims of having kidnapped two Marines in western Iraq are true," Major Neil Murphy said in a statement.
"Multi-National Force West is conducting checks to verify all Marines are accounted for," he said.
Earlier, in a statement posted on an Islamic website, al Qaeda in Iraq claimed to have seized two Marines in western Iraq, where U.S. forces are conducting an operation against suspected insurgents hiding out near the Syrian border. |