Confusion over abducted Russians

An interior ministry official had said they were freed by Iraqi commandos in a raid on the attackers' hideout on Saturday night.

But another ministry official denied the report and the Russian foreign ministry said it could not confirm it.

One Russian diplomat was killed in the abduction on Saturday.

Gunmen had opened fire on a diplomatic vehicle in the Mansour district close to the embassy.

Immediately after the abduction the Russian foreign ministry said it had set up a "crisis cell" to find the kidnapped diplomats.

'Arrested'

The Iraqi interior ministry's Lt Col Falah al-Mohamedawi had said on Sunday that commandos raided a hideout in the Jadriya neighbourhood in south-eastern Baghdad.

He said the kidnappers had been arrested.

But the ministry's information director, Brig. Adnan Abdul Rahman, said reports of the releases were "not true".

Neither the Russian embassy in Baghdad nor the foreign ministry in Moscow could verify the release.

Witnesses said the victims had been out buying food when they were ambushed. Their white sports utility vehicle was shown on TV with shattered windows.

Moscow identified the dead employee as Vitaly Titov and said one of those abducted was third secretary, Fyodor Zaitsev.

The Mansour area of Baghdad houses a number of embassies and has seen attacks on other diplomats.

A United Arab Emirates diplomat was seized and held for two weeks before being freed last month.

Last year, two Algerian, one Egyptian and two Moroccan embassy workers were abducted and killed.