MOSCOW, April 6 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - Several people were injured Sunday, April 6, when a car convoy evacuating the Russian ambassador to Iraq from Baghdad came under fire, with conflicting reports whether U.S. or Iraqi forces were responsible.

"The car convoy with members of the Russian embassy in Iraq, including the ambassador, came under attack leaving Baghdad in the direction of the Syrian border," a Russian foreign ministry spokesman told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A Jordan-based diplomat, quoting Russian sources, told AFP in Amman that ambassador Vladimir Titorenko was injured. But a Russian journalist travelling with the group said the envoy had escaped a bullet through the windscreen while three diplomats had been injured, one seriously.

The foreign ministry spokesman said at least four or five people were hurt. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, he clarified.

U.S. Central Command in Qatar alleged Iraqi forces controlled the area and "initial reports" indicated were there were no U.S. or British troops nearby.

But the Russian television journalist said the convoy had been caught in a crossfire between U.S. and Iraq forces.

"As we left the city we passed through Iraqi forces, who suddenly came under fierce fire," Rossia television correspondent Aleksander Minakov said in a telephone interview with his studio.

In Washington, General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon was investigating.

"There was no reporting by any ground unit of the coalition of any kind of contact" with the motorcade.

U.S. officials had been warned in advance that the convoy would be heading out, he told CNN.

Recounting the incident, Russian correspondent Minakov said: "As we left the city we passed through Iraqi forces who suddenly came under fierce fire. Shells exploded 50 to 70 metres (yards) from us followed by automatic arms fire.

"I am 100 percent sure the Americans were the first to open fire," he continued.

"The Iraqis obviously started shooting back and we were caught in a crossfire," the reporter added.

The convoy was spending the night at Fallujah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, to tend the wounded and would continue to Syria Monday, April 7, the Russian spokesman said.

"The first three cars full of diplomats came under machine gun fire," Minakov reported: "The ambassador was lucky because a bullet went through windscreen between the driver and him.

"But three diplomats were injured, including one with a serious abdomen wound."

The group had not dared to raise their heads for 30 minutes during the exchange, the journalist went on.

They dressed the wounds of the injured and pulled out during a pause in the gunfire.

He said they later approached U.S. armoured vehicles, which ignored their request for medical assistance, but the group made it to a hospital in Fallujah where two diplomats received first aid and the more seriously injured one was operated on, Minakov stressed.

Another witness told Russia's Interfax news agency from Baghdad that around 23 people were in the convoy. He had a different version, reporting two separate attacks.

After the first incident they later came upon a jeep convoy about 15 kilometres from Baghdad," he said.

"We stopped so as not to provoke them and we sent a car ahead with a flag to show who we were, but then we came under fire again," he told Interfax.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov on Sunday to assure him that an investigation is underway into the incident, AFP reported.

In addition to Powell's call, national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, who is now in Moscow in a bid to ease seriously strained relations with Russia is expected to discuss the incident with Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, a U.S. official said.

Powell "has spoken with foreign minister Ivanov this morning about the incident," said Jo-Anne Prokopowicz, a State Department spokeswoman. "We are still trying to figure out what happened."

"We do not know what happened or which forces were involved but we are trying to establish the facts," she said. "It is a war zone and we do not know if the incident took place in an area where U.S. forces are in control.

"We are working to establish direct contact between the convoy and U.S. commanders on the ground so that we can provide any assistance that may be needed," Prokopowicz said.

The shooting is the latest in a series of incidents that have vexed U.S.-Russian relations since the start of the war, which Moscow vehemently opposes, and came as Rice was preparing for her meetings.

Rice is to meet on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and Security Council chief Vladimir Rushailo, according to the Interfax news agency.

But the U.S. official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Rice would also meet Putin before travelling to meet up with U.S. President George W. Bush in northern Ireland on Monday or Tuesday.

Asked if Rice would follow up on Powell's phone call with Ivanov about the shooting incident, the official replied: "Absolutely, this will be discussed."

The White House said earlier that Rice would be looking at ways to get through the current difficulties with the Russians.

"We're committed to our long-term strategic relations with Russia," spokesman Taylor Gross said. "We've been through some difficult times and we look forward to exchanging views with the Russians on how best to move forward."

Last week, Russia protested loudly when its embassy compound in Baghdad came close to being hit by U.S. bombs.