"An Iraqi army source was kidnapped for ransom and they found his body last night. Another Iraqi army soldier is also missing and they are still looking for him," Captain James Becker tells an AFP reporter.

"The family in one of the villages is angry because they say Iraqi police knew about this but didn't really do anything, so now they are apparently shooting at each other and we're going to check it out."

Nineveh, with its capital Mosul, and Diyala in central Iraq remain the country's most unstable provinces, although even here the number of attacks is down sharply -- on average only two small roadside bombs are planted each week.

Becker, of the 1st Cavalry Division's 12th Battalion, gathers two of his platoons and quickly moves out from the small US army base near Ashur, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Mosul.

The US army moved back into the area over a year ago to help Iraqi forces stabilise the region and put out a fading insurgency and cut off the flow of explosives headed for the restive provincial capital.

"We've been attacked a couple of times. A couple of years ago it was large IEDs (improvised explosive devices), now it's all small homemade explosives," says Becker, 37, who is on his third tour of Iraq.

Becker's Humvees and Mraps -- a truck designed to withstand roadside bombs, still the most common form of attack in Iraq -- rumble along the isolated desert road before stopping when police lights flash.

After introducing himself, an Iraqi police officer politely declines Becker's offer of assistance. "No thank you, we've got it under control," says the policeman.

In the fading evening light an Iraqi army lieutenant then arrives to greet the US soldiers. Becker again offers US support. "Yeah, we need your help," responds the lieutenant.

"It's getting dark and the villagers will probably attack but if they see you here they probably won't do anything because they will be afraid."

Soon after it turns out that senior Iraqi army and police officials have already entered one of the villages and are meeting with tribal leaders.

"It looks like they have things under control, they've got the two villages surrounded," Becker says.

"It's good to see that the Iraqi police are actually here. It means they are working together with the Iraqi army and they are doing what they are supposed to be doing."

Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by Baghdad and Washington last year, US forces are to withdraw from major Iraqi cities and towns by the end of June, a prelude to a total pullout in 2011.

The Iraqis already lead security operations but the US continues to provide support.

"The Iraqi army are doing a very good job and the Iraqi police are doing okay but there is still a lot of corruption. What they need is good leadership to come in and clean it out," he adds.

Becker leaves to help on another mission -- to escort two Iraqis detained in Ashur and being taken to the small town of Kayyarah. The police and army again requested US help. A platoon stays behind just in case.

"It's not like it used to be," the sergeant driving the Mraps says over a crackly intercom as they waited another 30 minutes to ensure nothing went wrong.

"Before it would just be three or four guys. It really got your heart racing. Then you just never knew what was going to happen."

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