BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi soldier is accused of shooting to death two decorated American servicemen, including Sgt. Benjamin Portell who was laid to rest Friday in Bakersfield, during a joint operation in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said Saturday. An Iraqi official said the suspect may have links to militant groups.

The shooting the day after Christmas in the northern city of Mosul, which left three other U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter wounded, was the second known attack by a member of the Iraqi military on the American troops who train and work closely with Iraqi forces.

Initial results from an Iraqi investigation indicate that the soldier who opened fire might have links to local militants, said Brig. Mutaa Habib Jassim al-Khazrachi, commander of the Iraqi army's 2nd Division, who did not elaborate.

Brig. Nour al-Din Hussein, commander of the Iraqi army's 4th Brigade, 2nd Division in Mosul said the Iraqi soldier was a Sunni from the al-Qayara area south of Mosul city.

Parts of Mosul are considered strongholds of the Sunni extremist group al-Qaida in Iraq.

The suspect and another Iraqi soldier were in custody, the U.S. military said.

The military identified the slain Americans as Sgt. Benjamin B. Portell, 27, of Bakersfield, Calif. and Capt. Rowdy J. Inman, 38, of Panorama Village, Texas. Both were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and were based at Fort Hood, Texas. Inman had been awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Portell the Army Commendation Medal.

"For reasons that are yet unknown, at least one Iraqi Army soldier allegedly opened fire killing" the two, the U.S. military said.

The soldier fled "but was identified by other Iraqi army personnel" and was apprehended, it said.

The U.S. military said its investigators and the Iraqi army were looking into the shooting.

Al-Khazrachi said the U.S. soldiers were shot during a firefight between the joint forces and gunmen. Troops often come under attack when moving into new areas to establish patrol bases or outposts.

The U.S. military said in April 2006 that an Iraqi soldier had been accused of fatally shooting a U.S. Marine at a base near Qaim, 200 miles west of Baghdad, near the Syrian border.

Portell was recently married and on a second tour of duty in Iraq, according to an obituary in the Bakersfield Californian.

"Ben was a great guy," Brian Murphy, a pastor at the Riverlakes Community Church told the paper. "He just got married seven months ago. It's horrible."

The paper said Portell's older brother is serving in Iraq and a younger brother used to serve in the army and also fought in Iraq.

A memorial service was held for Inman Friday in Killeen, Texas, near Fort Hood. The career military man was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He is survived by his wife, Shannon; daughters Keeley and Casey; and a son, Gary.

Inman's sister said the family had no comment and declined to say whether family members had been told any details of her brother's death.

"That will all come out through the military," Paula Inman said.

Iraq's national police force is widely known to be infiltrated by Shiite militias -- in the southern city of Basra, the police chief fired 1,000 officers in December -- but the army is believed to be less prone to the phenomenon.

The U.S. and Iraqi military have been joined by predominantly Sunni tribal groups that have turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.

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Associated Press writer Hamza Hendawi and Mazin Yahya contributed to this report.