Unknown gunmen kidnapped a U.S. civilian contractor and his two Iraqi interpreters near the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Friday, local police said.

The abduction took place in the morning in the al-Haritha area north of Basra when gunmen in three cars intercepted the victims' car while they were travelling from Misan province to Basra, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. embassy in Baghdad had no immediate comment on the incident.

On Nov. 17, gunmen wearing police uniforms kidnapped four Americans and an Austrian, who were among a group of private security contractors' convoy from Safwan area on the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border.

The four kidnapped contractors have been held hostages since then.

Source: Xinhua