Talks between Ivanov and Rice, who was accompanied by US ambassador to Moscow Alexander Vershbow, were to focus on US-Russian relations, Interfax added.

Rice, who arrived in Moscow Sunday, was also to hold talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Russian security council chief Vladimir Rushailo.

But a US official in Washington, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Sunday Rice would also discuss the shooting incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin before travelling on to meet up with US President George W. Bush in Northern Ireland on Monday or Tuesday.

Five Russian diplomatic staff were injured when a car convoy evacuating the Russian ambassador to Iraq from Baghdad to Syria came under fire, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman said late Sunday.

A Russian journalist traveling with the group, state-owned television Rossiya's correspondent Alexander Minakov, said US forces initiated the shooting.

But US Central Command in Qatar said Iraqi forces controlled the area and "initial reports" indicated there were no US or British troops nearby.

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, he said.

Nine of the Russian diplomats belonging to the convoy early Monday left the town of Fallujah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, where they had spent the night following the attack, and were headed for the Syrian border, Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Saltanov said in Moscow.

Two other diplomats, including one wounded, remained in Fallujah's hospital, Saltanov told the Interfax news agency.

The four other injured diplomats were among the group heading for Syria, he added.

Saltanov said the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident were still unclear.

SPACE.WIRE