Iraqi officials say gunmen have kidnapped the country's deputy minister of electricity and 19 of his bodyguards in Baghdad.

They say the gunmen wore camouflage uniforms and intercepted a convoy in which Raad al-Harith and his bodyguards were traveling.

The abduction is the second high-profile kidnapping in Baghdad in less than a week.  On Saturday, a Sunni Arab legislator, Taiseer al-Mashhadani, and seven of her bodyguards were abducted.

Sunni lawmakers have since boycotted parliament and demanded her release.

Some Sunni lawmakers blame Shi'ite militias for the wave of kidnappings across Baghdad.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.