Russian leader orders special forces to find hostage-killers

It did not specify what special forces might be involved. Agents of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Federal Security Service - the main successor to the KGB - could be considered special forces.

Putin also said Russia "will be grateful to all its friends for any information on the criminals," the Kremlin said.

The order followed Monday's confirmation by the Foreign Ministry that four Russians working at the embassy in Iraq had been killed; they were seized earlier this month.

Separately, the Russian parliament's lower house passed a statement decrying the murders and saying that "occupying" countries are losing control in Iraq, the AP reports.

Russia has strongly opposed the U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq.