Three Lebanese were killed and one wounded by a group of gunmen in Iraq on Friday, said an official of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.

The three are identified as businessmen Gebrane Badine and Karim Khoury, and Khoury's wife Evelyne Abou Dib and all of them are working in food exports in Iraq.

The incident occurred in the early hours in a Baghdad residence,said the official who refused to be named.

Meanwhile, according to Iraqi Interior Ministry, the attack seemed to be crime-related in stead of politically motivated.

"Apparently, they were looking for something. They scattered things around.

I don't think it was the insurgents. I don't know the motive yet, but I don't think it is political," said Sabah Kadhim, the spokesman.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Jean Obeid condemned the killing and called on the Iraqi interim government to investigate the incident.

He said he wanted "protection provided to Lebanese nationals and other Arabs and foreigners in Iraq who have been subjected to abduction and murder without committing any crime."

Since Iraqi militants began kidnapping foreigners in April, several Lebanese nationals were abducted but most of them have been released except Hussein Olayyan, who was killed by kidnappers in June.

Source: Xinhua