An Iraqi insurgent group linked to al-Qaeda has claimed to have abducted two US soldiers near Baghdad, according to a statement posted on the Internet.
"Your brothers in the military wing of the Mujahideen Shura Council kidnapped two American soldiers near Yusufiya," the Sunni Arab group said. "We will provide you with more details about the incident in the next coming days."
The message, which could not be authenticated, appeared on an Islamic website known for publishing messages from insurgent groups in Iraq.
US officials have said they were trying to confirm whether the two soldiers, who disappeared on Friday evening following an insurgent attack that also killed a US soldier, were kidnapped.
During the search for the missing men, a US spokesman said the military killed three suspected insurgents and seized 34 others in fighting that left seven US servicemen wounded.
The US Defence Department identified the missing men as privates Kristian Menchaca (23) and Thomas L. Tucker (25). It said specialist David J. Babineau (25) was killed.
Elsewhere, gunmen kidnapped the four Russian diplomats near their embassy in Baghdad's Mansour district after firing on their car and killing one embassy employee.
"God has enabled the lions of monotheism to arrest four Russian diplomats in Iraq and kill the fifth," said a statement from the group on the same Web site.
The statement condemned Russian actions in Chechnya and criticised its presence in Baghdad.