Russia to pull out workers from Iraq

The two Interenergoservice workers along with two Iraqis died, hospital sources said, when their bus came under fire by unknown gunmen near a power plant being rebuilt by the firm some 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of here.

Interenergoservice, the largest Russian company in Iraq, announced it was pulling out its remaining 200-odd workforce in the wake of the attack. "The decision has been taken to evacuate all our staff" in Iraq, acting director Alexander Rybinsky told AFP.

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The foreign ministry in Russia, which has no troops in Iraq and opposed the US-led invasion, has repeatedly urged its citizens to leave the country.

"The Interenergoservice bus came under fire. Two Russian technicians were killed," the foreign ministry said. The company said six more of its employees were wounded.

The wounded were taken to Baghdad's Yarouk hospital for treatment and the Russian embassy and authorities in Iraq were investigating the attack.

Interenergoservice already had one employee killed in Iraq earlier this month.

The two Russians who survived that attack were kidnapped and then released just over a week later, and one of them decided to stay on in Iraq and continue working.