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Series of Blasts Hit Churches in Bagdad

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  • Series of Blasts Hit Churches in Bagdad

    The New York Times
    Series of Blasts Hit Churches in Baghdad and Northern City
    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Published: August 1, 2004
    Filed at 1:26 p.m. ET

    BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A series of coordinated explosions rocked five
    churches across Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul on Sunday,
    killing at least two people and injuring about 60 others in the first
    attacks targeting the country's Christian minority in a violent
    15-month insurgency.

    Two explosions just minutes apart shook separate Baghdad churches in a
    largely Christian neighborhood during Sunday evening services,
    followed shortly by two more explosions at churches in other areas of
    the capital. A car bomb and grenade attack hit a church in Mosul at
    roughly the same time, Iraqi officials said.

    Many of the country's Christians had become increasingly concerned
    about the rising Islamic fundamentalism here and some had fled to
    neighboring country's to wait until the security and political
    situation became more calm.

    ``What are the Muslims doing? Does this mean that they want us out?''
    asked Brother Louis, a deacon at the Our Lady of Salvation, as he
    cried outside the Assyrian Catholic church. ``Those people who commit
    these awful criminal acts have nothing to do with God. They will go
    to hell.''

    U.S. 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.''

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

    The explosions in Baghdad killed one person and injured between 50 and
    55 people, medical officials said. The blasts in Mosul killed one
    person and injured 11 others, said police Maj. Fawaz Fanaan.

    In Mosul, about 220 miles north of Baghdad, 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 yards 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 pylon.

    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. Firefighters and emergency workers were
    battling fires and helping the wounded.

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

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

    ``I saw injured 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 nine feet
    wide in the ground.

    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 U.S. 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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