Three French Soldiers Captured and Then Released by Iraqi Patrol

PARIS — Iraqi troops captured three French soldiers on a reconnaissance patrol this week near the Saudi Arabian border with Iraq, the Defense Ministry reported Friday. They were later freed.

The soldiers, who were taken captive Monday, were turned over to the French Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, the Defense Ministry said in a communique.

It was unclear whether the incident occurred inside Iraqi territory or in Saudi Arabia.

A ministry spokesman said Friday that the soldiers face disciplinary measures for an “act of carelessness,” which suggests that the incident was on the Iraqi side of the border.

A French Defense Ministry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of the captured soldiers: “They committed an error of exceeding their mission. There’s a lot of movement around the border right now, and we don’t know exactly what happened. The commander who has opened the investigation believes they are responsible.”