Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers again banged the drum of "self-responsibility" on Friday, following an overnight attack on a vehicle carrying two freelance Japanese journalists in Iraq.

Meanwhile, opposition parties called for a review of the Self-Defense Forces dispatch to the country.

"It's really regrettable," Jiro Kawasaki, chief deputy chairman of the LDP Diet Affairs Committee, told reporters. "We've repeatedly called on news media and other people to think about their own safety and withdraw (from Iraq) with self-responsibility."

Hostage crises involving Japanese civilians in Iraq earlier this year prompted similar calls among government officials and politicians. The issue of how much the government should spend to resolve the crises gained widespread coverage both at home and abroad.

"The government must again request them to leave Iraq," Kawasaki said. The LDP will urge the government to proceed with an investigation into the incident, he said.

A senior LDP lawmaker in charge of Diet affairs told reporters that the government "will do its best to deal with the situation, but self-responsibility is also vital" for Japanese staying in Iraq, as the Foreign Ministry has repeatedly issued advisories warning against travel to the country.

Opposition parties voiced concern over deteriorating security conditions in Iraq in connection with Ground Self-Defense Force troops deployed in the southern city of Samawah.

"We recognize that the situation there has come to a point that a thorough assessment of the deployment is necessary," said Tatsuo Kawabata, DPJ Diet Affairs Committee chairman.