Gunmen abduct 50 workers from Iraq transport firms

BAGHDAD, June 5 (Reuters) Gunmen in police uniforms abducted up to 50 employees of various Baghdad transport companies today, police and Interior Ministry sources said.

They said the gunmen carried out what appeared to be a coordinated operation along a Baghdad street that is home to several companies offering transport to Syria and Jordan.

No other details were immediately available.

Thousands of Iraqis have been kidnapped in the past three years since US-led forces invaded Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Some were beheaded or shot.

The kidnappers are usually politically motivated Islamic militants or criminal gangs seeking a ransom.

REUTERS KD ND1500