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| Iraq |
| 2010-11-01 |
| [An Nahar] Seven Christians were killed Sunday and at least 13 maimed in a rescue operation involving US and Iraqi forces to end a hostage drama at a church in the Iraqi capital, officials said. All eight gunnies were also killed when US and Iraqi forces mounted a joint operation to rescue worshippers held hostage in the Sayidat al-Nejat church in the Karrada neighbourhood. The gunnies had stormed the church during evening mass after killing two guards at the nearby headquarters of the Storied Baghdad stock exchange. "We released the hostages but unfortunately seven of them were killed and 20 of them maimed," an interior ministry official told AFP. A defence ministry official said 13 were hurt in the rescue operation and that the gunnies had been holding 40 hostages. One of the freed hostages, an 18-year-old man, said that the first thing the gunnies did when they entered the church was to shoot the priest. "The entered the church with their weapons, wearing military uniforms. They came into the prayer hall, and immediately killed the priest," said the young man who did declined to give his name. All the hostages had been huddled into the main prayer hall when the gunbattles began with security forces, he said. "We heard a lot of gunfire and kabooms, and some people were hurt from falling windows, doors and debris," he added. Officials said that nine gunnies had stormed the church in central Baghdad but one of them blew himself up by activating a suicide belt he was wearing earlier in the evening when police made a first attempt to enter the church. "We killed the eight beturbanned goons inside the church," an Iraqi soldier said. Officials refused to speak about casualties among security forces. "We came here to help the police and army free the hostages, and we released them with the help of the Americans," a member of Iraq's anti-terrorist unit told AFP. An AFP news hound saw US soldiers at the scene. Helicopters hovered overhead and loud kabooms and gunfire were heard, shortly after officials said they were preparing to storm the church. Two guards at the stock exchange were killed in festivities with the gunnies trying to battle their way into the building earlier on Sunday, an interior ministry official said. He said the attackers detonated a bomb in a car parked close wounding four civilians and beat feet, fleeing to the Sayidat al-Nejat church which was among six targeted by deadly car bombings on August 1, 2004. The Chaldean bishop of Baghdad, Bishop Shlimoune Wardouni earlier told AFP that gunnies were demanding the release of detainees held in Iraq and Egypt and that two priests were among the hostages. The Vatican expressed regret over the hostage drama and called for a swift resolution. "It's a very sad situation, which confirms the difficult situation in which Christians live in the country," Father Federico Lombardi told AFP. "We are following the situation closely and hope for a rapid solution, without violence or further victims," he said. Violence has abated in Iraq since its peak in 2006-2007, but deadly bombings, shootouts and kidnappings are still routine. Iraq's Christians have been frequently the target of violence, including murder and abductions, over the past seven years. Hundreds of Iraqi Christians have been killed and several churches attacked since the US-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003. Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq in 2003 but their number has since shrunk to 550,000 as members of the community have decamped abroad, according to Christian leaders. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 I thought I heard more like 50 killed this morning on the radio. Maybe that included the Christians. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2010-11-01 06:47 |