Gunmen opened fire at a group of construction workers south of Baghdad, killing 12 workers and kidnapping their contractor, an Interior Ministry source said on Monday.

"Armed men in two cars opened fire at a group of workers who were building a house in the town of Iskandriyah at about 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Sunday , killing 12 workers and kidnapping the contractor who hired them," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Police were investigating the incident.

Source: Xinhua