One Russian dead, two kidnapped in Iraq

One man was killed and two were taken hostage during the armed attack on specialists of the Russian company Interenergoservice in Baghdad. According to the Russian Embassy in Iraq, a group of unidentified persons attacked the specialists' car in Baghdad on Monday when they were returning from their shift at the restoration of the El Mussayeb power station 50 km south of Baghdad.

No organization has assumed responsibility for the attack and nobody has advanced any demands so far. The details of the attack are being investigated.

Moscow is doing its best to ensure a quick release of the Russian citizens taken hostage in Iraq, official Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti. He confirmed that one man died and two were taken hostage in Baghdad and said the embassy in Iraq was investigating the circumstances.

The names of the dead man and of the two hostages are not provided.

On April 12, three Russian specialists of Interenergoservice and five Ukrainians were taken hostage in Iraq but were released soon afterwards. According to the Baghdad representative of the company, the kidnappers treated the hostages well and, when they learned that they were from Russia, asked forgiveness and put them in a taxi that brought them home.