Eight Russians, employed at a construction site of a thermal power station in Iraq, have been abducted, Interfax News Agency reported on Tuesday in Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed the abduction of the eight Interenergoservis Company employees. They were working at the Nassiriyah thermal power plant since August 2003.

The report, citing ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko, came hours after the Arab television channel Al-Jazeera reported that 11 Russians had been seized during a clash in Baghdad on Monday night.

"The Russian embassy in Baghdad is actively taking all necessary measures to bring about the release of the hostages," he said.

Their abduction follows the release of seven Chinese men kidnapped on Sunday near the city of Fallujah.