12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

MOSCOW, May 11: Russia urged on Tuesday all its remaining workers to leave Iraq after one Russian was killed and two others taken hostage in Baghdad just a month after a similar incident prompted hundreds of former Soviet nationals to flee for home.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said that "we are doing everything we can to free our citizens. "We once again urge (Russians) to leave Iraq. Our embassy will do everything to assist the evacuation."

Russian diplomats said the three were employed by the Inter energo service company, which was under contract to restore energy supplies to Iraq. A car full of armed men chased down the Russians' vehicle as they returned from work to Baghdad on Monday afternoon and opened fire.

Diplomats said the assailants left behind an injured Iraqi who worked as the Russians' interpreter and who later reported the incident. The team was trying to rebuild an electric power plant located some 50kms south of the Iraqi capital.

Russian officials said no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack and that no ransom or other demands had been made for the hostages' release. The incident is a second strike against Russian targets within a month and is likely to test Moscow's commitment to keeping a presence in the nation amid an escalation of violence and hostage-takings.

A group of Russian, Belarussian and Ukrainian workers were briefly taken hostage last month. One was released immediately and the others within 24 hours after the attackers learned that most of them were from Russia - a country that furiously opposed the invasion of Iraq.

Russia's foreign ministry advised all Russian workers to pull out of Iraq after the April incident. -AFP