9 Americans Held by Iran; 7 Freed

Four U.S. soldiers and five civilians in two boats were taken captive by Iranians, blindfolded and interrogated before being released, the U.S. Central Command said by phone from its Tampa headquarters. Two of the civilians were still being held.

Four soldiers from the Army’s 1092nd Engineer Battalion, a civilian Army contractor, two civilian captains and two boat drivers were sailing up the Shatt al Arab waterway to pick up Iraqi South Oil Co. personnel when they were taken prisoner, Cmdr. Dan Gage said. The group may have moved into Iranian territorial waters, he said.

Initial medical examinations of the released individuals indicated there were no injuries or signs of physical abuse.