GENEVA, January 24, 2007 (WAFA) - A group of up to 90 terrified Palestinian men, women and children fled Baghdad in two rented buses early Wednesday morning, a day after some 30 Palestinian men were taken from their apartments by unidentified uniformed men who later released them, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to a press release by UNHCR, the Palestinians were reportedly headed toward the Syrian border, where more than 500 Palestinians have been stranded for months.

It added that seventeen Palestinian men from Baghdad's Hay El Nidal neighbourhood were forcibly taken from their homes early Tuesday morning and released seven hours later.

The abductions caused great panic among the Palestinian community. Some Palestinians told UNHCR they "feared the attack of militias at any time." Many other Palestinians told UNHCR that they wanted to leave as well, but couldn't because they lacked proper documents, or because they still have family members in Baghdad who cannot go.

"Of all the groups being targeted in Iraq, the Palestinians are the most vulnerable as they literally have nowhere else to flee, and in many cases have been denied travel documents," said Andrew Harper, the Geneva-based senior Iraq operations manager. "The international community must act now to help these people. A safe haven needs to be found immediately, outside Iraq."

There are still an estimated 15,000 Palestinians remaining in Iraq -- less than half of the estimated figure in 2003.

A.D (22.05P) (20.05GMT)