Baghdad: Iraqi officials said 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped in Baghdad by masked men in military uniforms, on the same day a Daesh suicide bomber killed two army generals west of the capital.

Officials immediately blamed the Daesh militant group for the suicide attack. It was not immediately clear if there were other casualties or injuries.

The CEO of Turkish construction firm Nurol, meanwhile, confirmed its workers were kidnapped in Baghdad early on Wednesday.

Iraqi officials earlier said 16 Nurol employees were kidnapped.

The Turkish construction company is contracted to build a sports complex in the eastern Baghdad district of Sadr City.

The officials say kidnappers stormed the construction site at dawn Wednesday, where the workers were sleeping in caravans, and took the 16 away in several SUVs. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Neither the identity nor the motives of the kidnappers were immediately known.

Turkey recently began launching airstrikes against the extremist Islamic State group in northern Iraq and allowing U.S. warplanes to use bases in southeastern Turkey to strike against the extremist group.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi ordered arrangements by Baghdad security commanders to allow citizens access to the fortified "Green Zone" containing government buildings and foreign embassies.