Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    BAGHDAD, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military said Thursday it had captured the leaders of a network responsible for the kidnapping and murder of five U.S. soldiers early this year.

    "Over the past several days, Coalition forces in Basra and Hillah captured Qais Khazali, his brother Laith Khazali, and several other members of the Khazali network," the military said in a statement.

    The Khazali network was an organization directly connected to the kidnapping and murder in January of five American soldiers in Karbala, according to the statement.

    On Jan. 20, gunmen speaking English, wearing U.S. military uniforms and carrying U.S.-made weapons, stormed Karbala provincial headquarters in a well-orchestrated attack.

    They abducted four U.S. soldiers and later shot them to death, while a fifth soldier was also shot dead during the attack.