Three Britons snatched in Baghdad

Three Britons have been kidnapped in Baghdad, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said today.

They were abducted by gunmen from a building in the centre of the Iraqi capital, according to reports.

The Foreign Office in London was unable to give any immediate details about the incident.

The gunmen seized the trio from their house in Baghdad's al-Mansour neighbourhood at dawn, said ministry spokesman Colonel Adnan Abdel-Rahman.

He was unable to provide their identities.

There was no immediate confirmation from the British Embassy in Baghdad.

The al-Mansur district is in western Baghdad. Many foreign nationals live in the area, which is regarded as relatively safe.

There was no fighting during the kidnapping, which involved civilians, according to reports.

There has been an upsurge in kidnappings of westerners in Iraq recently by militant Islamic groups.