Manila  - The Philippines on Monday appealed to Filipinos to observe a travel ban to Iraq following the death of a Filipino worker in a mortar attack in Baghdad's Green Zone last week.

Claro Cristobal, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the slain Filipino, 32-year-old Jonasis Saguid, was working as a cook in Baghdad.

Two Filipino workers were also injured in the attack last Friday, but they were already out of danger.

Cristobal said the remains of Saguid will be flown to Manila within the week from Kuwait.

Philippine ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya said Saguid might have "skirted an existing travel ban on Iraq by entering the country via Dubai."

"The travel ban to Iraq is still in place and we urge all Filipino workers to heed our call," Endaya said in television interview.

"Please refrain from going to Iraq because Iraq remains to be one of the most dangerous places on earth and violence there remains unabated," he added. "Please comply with the ban to avoid more Filipino fatalities."

The Philippines imposed the travel ban following the kidnapping of a Filipino truck driver in July 2004.

The hostage was freed unharmed after the Philippines gave in to demands of his kidnappers to withdraw ahead of schedule its small humanitarian contingent from Iraq.

Despite the ban, thousands of Filipinos have been able to sneak into Iraq from neighbouring countries. An estimated 7,000 Filipinos are now working in Iraq. (dpa)