US embassy confirms Americans were kidnapped in Iraq

The US embassy in Baghdad has confirmed that "several" Americans have been kidnapped there, according to international reports.

A state department official has said that the US is working with the full co-operation of Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals, after unconfirmed reports from Iraqi security circles said three Americans and an Iraqi translator were seized on the southern side of Baghdad.

US officials have not said how many people are being held or where they were taken, but CNN reports that three contractors also went missing on Friday.

"A company filed a report Sunday about three of its staff going missing two days ago. They are American contractors. We are looking into this report," a senior security official told the network.

"The safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest priority," said US state department official John Kirby.

The BBC reports that if it turns out to be a serious kidnapping, it would be a major blow to hopes for stability and progress in Iraq, after a relative lull in violence was broken when an attack took place at a shopping centre in the city last week.