U.S. Captures Iraqi Brothers

The U.S. military said Thursday it has captured a pair of Iraqi brothers wanted in connection with the killings of five American soldiers in Iraq.

Over the past several days, coalition forces in Basra and Hilla captured Qais Khazali, his brother Laith Khazali and several other members of the Khazali network, CNN reported, citing a U.S. military statement.

Qais Khazali has served as a spokesman for the rebel Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, CNN reported.

The brothers were wanted in connection with a Jan. 20 attack in which gunmen wearing American-looking uniforms drove through checkpoints at a compound in Karbala before opening fire on U.S. troops, killing one soldier, the U.S. military said.

The gunmen left with four U.S. soldiers. Three of them were found dead, and the fourth died on the way to a hospital, CNN reported.

The U.S. military said the brothers were suspected of belong to a network that uses weapons known as penetrators, which the United States believes were provided to Iraqi militants by Iran.