(KUNA) -- Fifteen Iraqi civilians were abducted form a popular cafe on Thursday night by unknown gunmen in the area of Bataween in central Baghdad, said security sources. Iraqi Police sources quoted witnesses as saying that the gunmen abducted the civilians by force to an unknown destination.The incident comes two days after gunmen dressed in Commando forces uniform kidnapped over 100 employees and visitors from the Ministry of Higher Education, about 40 of them were released so far, while some of them were tortured and executed, according to witnesses. The security sources told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the Ministry of Defense ordered to set up Iraqi Army checkpoints hours after reports on abducting a score of civilians in Al-Rabe' Street in western Baghdad. The sources added that the ministry ended the presence of military checkpoints to reduce traffic jams in the busy street, but decided to set them up again due to security breaches. Witnesses said that about 20 Shiite Iraqis were abducted from the Sunni-dominant Al-Rabe' Street during the past two days.