BAGHDAD - An American, an Australian and a Canadian were killed Wednesday in an attack on their convoy on the treacherous Baghdad airport road, a statement from their employer said Thursday.
Insurgents blew up a car on the same road Thursday morning, wounding at least one Iraqi civilian, an interior ministry official said.
James Hunt, from Kentucky, Chris Ahmelman, from Queensland, Australia, and Stefan Surette, from Nova Scotia, Canada, were killed when vehicles in their convoy "were attacked by insurgents using small arms fire," the Edinburgh Risk security firm said.
"Another operator was injured in the attack, although not seriously," the firm said, adding that relatives had been notified.
The three "played a significant role in the successful elections at the end of January, and their loss is keenly felt by all who worked with them or who were helped by them."
The foreign ministry in Canberra earlier announced the Australian's death.
A ministry spokeswoman said the family of the 34-year-old former soldier had been informed and was being given consular assistance.
He was the fourth Australian known to have been killed in Iraq.
Paul Pardoel, 35, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer who had been serving with the British Royal Air Force since 2002, was one of 10 servicemen killed when a British Hercules C-130 crashed north of Baghdad in January.
Australian journalist Paul Moran and Sydney sound recordist Jeremy Little were killed early in the conflict.
Australia currently has about 450 military personnel in Iraq and is sending 450 more.
04/21/2005 13:04 GMT