US Soldiers captured by Iraqis

The five captured US soldiers being interviewed by Iraqi TV. Photos: AFP/Al-Jazeera

Iraqi television on Sunday showed gruesome images of captured and dead American soldiers as senior US defence officials confirmed that about 10 US troops were missing in southern Iraq. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld conceded: "We believe there are some American soldiers missing."

The pictures, relayed by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, showed several dead bodies, apparently US soldiers killed in Iraq, along with five prisoners, including two wounded. At least five charred and bloodied bodies lay sprawled in a makeshift morgue though it was not possible to count their exact number.

Two of the prisoners shown by Iraqi TV said they were from the 507th Maintenance Company. The 507th Corps Support Group provides supplies, equipment, repairs and maintenance and would usually provide support as far forward as possible to the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Infantry Division and the 101st Airborne Division,

US officers said Marines battling Iraqi guerrillas for Nassiriya, on the Euphrates river about 375km south-east of Baghdad, had taken "significant" casualties in a fight to open a route north to the Iraqi capital. The second prisoner shown, who gave his name as Joseph Hudson, said he came from El Paso, Texas. Asked why he had come to Iraq, he said: "I follow orders". He was asked repeatedly whether he was greeted by guns or flowers by Iraqis, but appeared not to understand the question.

A third man, who appeared to have a broken arm, was lying on a red patterned rug, but was pulled into a sitting position to answer questions. He gave his name as Edgar from Texas and said only that he had entered Iraq from Kuwait.

A fourth prisoner gave his name as Sergeant James Riley from New Jersey and said he was 31 years old. He appeared to be in shock, turning his head from side to side.

The fifth, an African American woman who gave her name as Shawna and said she was 30, had a bandaged ankle.

The bodies were wearing bloodstained camouflage uniforms and some appeared to have bullet wounds to the head.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld conceded: "We believe there are some American soldiers missing."