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2 dead, 38 injured in Iraqi church explosions

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  • 2 dead, 38 injured in Iraqi church explosions

    Associated Press
    Aug 1 2004


    2 dead, 38 injured in Iraqi church explosions
    By ASSOCIATED PRESS


    A series of coordinated explosions rocked five churches across
    Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul on Sunday, killing 2 people
    and wounding about 38 people in the first attacks targeting the
    country's Christian minority since the 15-month violent insurgency
    here began.

    Two explosions just minutes apart shook separate Baghdad churches in
    a largely Christian neighborhood during Sunday evening services, and
    two other blasts struck outside a church in Mosul at roughly the same
    time, Iraqi officials said. Two churches in other areas of Baghdad
    were hit as well Sunday evening, officials said.

    US military officials in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood, where the
    first two churches were bombed, said they found a third bomb in front
    another church that had not exploded. Karada is home to many of the
    city's Christians and many of its churches.

    "We were in the Mass and suddenly we heard a big boom, and I couldn't
    feel my body anymore, I didn't feel anything," said Marwan Saqiq, who
    was covered in blood. "I saw people taking me out with the wood and
    glass shattered everywhere."

    US military officials said at least one and possibly both of the
    blasts appeared to have come from booby trapped cars.

    In Mosul, about 350 kilometers (220 miles), a car bomb blew up next
    to a Catholic church while worshippers were coming out of Mass,
    police Maj. Raed Abdel Basit said. Several rocket-propelled grenades
    were also launched at the church, Bowman said.

    The bomb, inside a white Toyota, blew up about 7 p.m. just meters
    from the church, said Ghaleb Wadeea, 50-year-old engineer who lives
    next door. Debris from the exploded car were scattered about the
    site, with some hanging off a nearby electricity post.

    A bridge in Mosul was also hit, Bowman said.

    Interior Ministry spokesman Sabah Kadhim said a total of four
    churches were hit in Baghdad, two in Karada, one in the Dora
    neighborhood and one in New Baghdad.

    At the site of the two blasts in Karada, Iraqi police and National
    Guard cordoned off the area. Fire engines and ambulances raced to the
    scene.

    The first blast in Baghdad hit outside an Armenian church just 15
    minutes into the evening service, witnesses said. The second blast
    hit a Catholic church about 500 meters (yards) away.

    Stunned Iraqis ran away from the scene, holding their bleeding heads
    in their hands.

    "I saw wounded women and children and men, the church's glass
    shattered everywhere. There's glass all over the floor," said
    Juliette Agob, who was inside the Armenian church during the first
    explosion.

    The back wall of the Catholic church, where a bomb had been placed,
    was badly damaged, with bricks scattered about, revealing the graves
    from a cemetery behind the building. The bomb left a hole 2.5 meters
    wide in the ground.

    US soldiers and Iraqi police patrolled the area as emergency workers
    raced to evacuate the wounded.

    Three cars were in flames in front of the Armenian Church, colored
    glass was scattered across the ground. Four unexploded artillery
    shells were still visible inside the booby-trapped car.

    Massive plumes of black smoke poured into the evening sky over the
    city and US helicopter gunships circled above. Fire fighters and
    residents struggled with water hoses to put out the flames, which
    leapt from the front of a tan colored church.

    Relatives raced to search for loved ones.

    One, Roni George, was sitting on the ground weeping after failing to
    find his father, mother and two brothers who were at Mass inside one
    of the churches during the blast.

    Numbering some 750,000, the minority Christians were already
    concerned about the growing tide of Islamic fundamentalism, so long
    repressed under Saddam Hussein. The majority of the Christians are
    Chaldean Roman Catholic, the rest Syrian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox
    and Assyrian. Most live in Baghdad and its outskirts and some dwell
    further to the north.

    Islamic radicals have warned Christians running liquor stores to shut
    down their businesses, and have turned their sights on fashion stores
    and beauty salons. The increasing attention on this minority
    community has many within looking for a way out. Many are in
    neighboring Jordan and Syria waiting for the security situation to
    settle, while others have applied to leave the country.
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