Conflicting intelligence leaves kidnapped soldiers’ fate unknown

Young Michigander, Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, among missing for 5 months

Conflicting intelligence has emerged recently on whether troops kidnapped in southern Baghdad earlier this year are alive, a U.S. commander said Friday.

Spc. Alex R. Jimenez and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, both of the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, were abducted after a May 12 ambush on U.S. soldiers manning a military observation post near Yusufiyah.

“In the last week, we received one significant intelligence thread that indicated that at least they were potentially alive recently, but another that said they had been killed shortly after the attack, and we have followed both as we’ve investigated them and indeed conducted operations last night along with other coalition forces to capture and detain others who might be associated with that attack,” Col. Michael Kershaw said.