An Iraqi army official says two Americans are being held in northern Iraq on visa violations. The official says the two were picked up Sunday in Mosul after crossing from Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region without Iraqi visas. There were no additional details Friday, including the detainees' names or why they were in Iraq.

Major Stephen Holt, a US military spokesman, confirmed the Americans are in Iraqi custody. The US Embassy also acknowledged the detentions, but did not release any details. The Iraqi official says the pair was travelling with a Kurdish translator and was being question by Iraqi security forces. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information.

Copyright Associated Press, 2010