Militants in Iraq have produced a video apparently showing the ID cards of two missing US soldiers.

US TV networks showed pictures from a video apparently made by the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group which says it has the two men.

The two soldiers, Specialist Alex Jimenez, 25, and Private Byron Fouty, 19, were seized in an ambush on 12 May.

The body of a third captured soldier was later found in the River Euphrates to the south of Baghdad.

There were no still images or identifiable video footage of the two soldiers on the militant video, ABC News and CNN reported.

Instead, the film concludes with pictures of personal effects said to belong to the missing soldiers, including credit cards, a cross and cash, CNN said.

A Pentagon spokesman told the BBC he could not confirm the authenticity of the video, but said the ID cards shown did appear to be genuine.

The Islamic State of Iraq is an umbrella group which includes al-Qaeda in Iraq, the organization suspected by the US of seizing the three soldiers.

Websites frequently used by militant groups said a full video would be posted later on Monday, reports said.

'Still looking'

The SITE Institute, a Washington-based organization that monitors Islamist and 'insurgent' web output, also said it had obtained the video.

The 10-minute film is said to be mainly made up of footage of an apparent night-time attack, and archive footage from al-Jazeera TV.

A US military spokesman told the AFP news agency the release of a video had been anticipated since the soldiers capture.

"Ever since the first statement by the Islamic State of Iraq that if we wanted to see the soldiers alive we should stop looking, we have been expecting this, knowing that it's a scare tactic by insurgent groups," Lt Col Chris Garver said.

The US and Iraqi forces would continue the search for the two men, he added.

The US has offered rewards of up to $200,000 (£100,000) for the safe return of the two men.

PHOTO CAPTION

Image of the soldiers' ID card