CTindex - Christian Today Australia Interactive Catalogue
World

Four Iraqi churches targeted in coordinated bomb attack

Three churches and one monastery were bombed in an apparent coordinated attack on Christians living in Mosul, a northern city in Iraq, said the city’s police.

By: Christian Today Australia
Tuesday, 8 January 2008, 11:05 (EST)
Font Scale:A A A
Share |
Three churches and one monastery were bombed in an apparent coordinated attack on Christians living in Mosul, a northern city in Iraq, said the city’s police.

According to the Maktoob business publication, the first bomb exploded outside the Chaldean Church of St. Paul. This was then followed with another explosion occurring outside the Assyrian church of the Virgin Mary.

Another bomb was then set off outside a monastery in the centre of Mosul. This was followed by two bombs going off outside the Chaldean church of Maskanta.

The bombing of the churches and monastery all occurred on Epiphany Sunday – an important date in the Orthodox Christian calendar.

The Mosul’s Chaldean Archbishop, Farac Raho, confirmed four churches were bombed on a television channel and indicated the attackers had used both car bombs and explosive charges. The Archbishop has called on the Iraqi government to immediately act against those who perpetrated this crime.

According to official figures, the Christian community in Iraq has slumped from around 800,000 in the 1990s to between 400,000 and 600,000 now.



More articles