As U.S. and coalition forces, along with Iraqi security, continued the search Saturday for 5 hostages taken in a convoy ambush in southern Iraq, an Iranian satellite news station aired a video that it said came from a group claiming to be holding the captives.

Islamic Mujahedeen Battalion claims to have been the gunman who, disguised as Iraqi police, set up a fake check-point to stop the convoy and abducted five contracted security workers, including four Americans and an Austrian. Although it was reported by Iraqi police Friday that two of the hostages were freed and one killed, that statement has since been retracted.

The convoy, stopped near the southern Iraqi town of Nasiriyah, carried civilians escorted by employees of Crescent Security, one of many security companies which escorts groups of vehicles across the border from Kawait. Several truck drivers were released, and other civilians unharmed, while the five were deliberately kidnapped from the scene.

Islamic Mujahedeen Battalion, a group of Shiite militants, first popped up six months ago. Since then it has issued threats to attack convoys near the border with Kawait.

Elsewhere, security forces continue the search for several dozen hostages still missing from amongst those taken from the Ministry of Higher Education this week. Several of those released have reported being tortured, and witnessing the murders of three of the hostages. Most of the hostages are Sunni muslims and were ministry workers and visitors.