Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Scores of Iraqi Christians Killed in Al Qaeda Church Attack
Scores of Iraqi Christians Killed in Al Qaeda Church Attack
November 4, 2010
Scores of Iraqi Christians Killed in Al Qaeda Church Attack
November 4- Militant Islam Monitor-On October 31 Al Qaeda terrorists, some wearing suicide belts, stormed the Our Lady of Salvation church and took all of the worshippers hostage. The terrorists demanded the release of jailed Al Qaeda members and vowed to "exterminate" all Iraqi Christians. In the standoff that followed Iraqi security forces stormed the church. The terrorists killed 52 people and wounded 62. They shot the priest and herded the worshippers into an inner hall while beating them. The terrorists then shot the worshippers, threw grenades and detonated their suicide vests.
For an eyewitness account of the attack see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11666557
The Pope condemned the attack as "absurd.. ferocious violence".
The BBC has compiled a list of attacks on Iraqi Christians since 2003:
ATTACKS ON IRAQI CHRISTIANS SINCE 2003
- Aug 2004 - series of bombings targets five churches, killing 11
- October 2006 - Orthodox priest, Boulos Iskander, snatched in Mosul by group demanding ransom. Despite payment of the ransom, priest found beheaded, his arms and legs also cut off
- June 2007 - Ragheed Ganni - a priest and secretary to Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahh, killed in 2008 - shot dead in his church along with three companions
- January 2008 - Bombs go off outside three Chaldean and Assyrian churches in Mosul, two churches in Kirkuk and four in Baghdad
- February 2008 - Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahh kidnapped; body found in shallow grave two weeks later
- April 2008 - Fr Adel Youssef, an Assyrian Orthodox priest, shot dead by unknown assailants
- February 2010 - At least eight Christians die in a two-week spate of attacks in northern city of Mosul
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11463544
There are about 600,000 Christians left in Iraq. Many have fled since 2003.
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