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3 dead, 25 wounded in Baghdad as attacks on Christians continue
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- At least three people were killed and 25 wounded Wednesday morning in continuing attacks on Christians in Iraq, an interior ministry official said.
The roadside bombs and mortar fire targeted Christian homes in several Baghdad neighborhoods, the official said.
On Tuesday evening, three people were wounded in western Baghdad when bombs exploded outside Christian homes there, the ministry said.
It was not clear if the injured were Christian residents or others on the street.
The latest attacks came as 35 Christian survivors of a chilling church attack last month arrived in France, where they will be able to seek asylum.
France welcomes church attack survivors
Iraq's Christians remember victims Dozens dead in Iraqi hostage situation
A group called the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for the gruesome October 31 siege of the Sayidat al-Nejat cathedral that left 70 people dead and 75 wounded. The umbrella group includes a number of Sunni extremist organizations and has ties to al Qaeda in Iraq.
Worshippers at the church were about to begin Sunday night services when gunmen entered the church, according to Martin Chulov, a journalist for Britain's Guardian newspaper, who was at the scene.
As many as 120 people were taken hostage, said Lt. Col. Eric Bloom, a U.S. military spokesman. The gunmen held them for hours before security forces stormed in to end the standoff, arresting eight suspects.
Most of the hostages were killed or wounded when the attackers set off explosives inside the church, Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qader Obeidi said.
At least two of the attackers were wearing explosive vests, which they detonated just minutes before security forces raided the church, police officials said.
The gunmen were demanding that the Iraqi government release a number of detainees and prisoners in Iraqi prisons, saying the Christian hostages would be freed in return, according to the police officials.
Iraq's defense minister later said on state television that the kidnappers had demanded the release of a number of prisoners in both Iraq and Egypt.
The Christian people should leave their beloved land of our ancestors and escape the premeditated ethnic cleansing.
Al Qaeda in Iraq
"The sword of slaughter will not be lifted off the necks of their followers until they denounce what the dog of the Egyptian church has committed, and until they show the Mujahedeens their serious endeavor to pressure the combatant (Coptic) church for the release of our Muslim sisters, who are captive in the prisons of their monasteries," the militant group said last week.
Al Qaeda in Iraq later announced that all Christians in the Middle East were now "legitimate targets" after the deadline for the release of the prisoners passed.
On Sunday, a Syriac Orthodox archbishop in Britain called for all Christians in Iraq to leave the country and slammed the Baghdad government for not doing enough to protect the rights of minorities.
"I say clearly and now -- the Christian people should leave their beloved land of our ancestors and escape the premeditated ethnic cleansing. This is better than having them killed one by one," said Archbishop Athanasios Dawood, according to prepared remarks he sent to CNN.
The claim that the Coptic Church in Egypt is holding female prisoners is based on widespread rumors of Coptic women in Egypt converting to Islam and being detained by the church in an attempt to compel or persuade them to return to their original faith.
Both the Egyptian Interior Ministry and the representatives of the Coptic Church in Cairo declined to comment on the matter.
Copts are adherents of an Egyptian sect of Christianity. About nine percent of Egyptians are Coptic, according to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook; 90 percent of Egyptians are Muslim.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/11/10/iraq.christian.attacks/index.html?hpt=T1
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- At least three people were killed and 25 wounded Wednesday morning in continuing attacks on Christians in Iraq, an interior ministry official said.
The roadside bombs and mortar fire targeted Christian homes in several Baghdad neighborhoods, the official said.
On Tuesday evening, three people were wounded in western Baghdad when bombs exploded outside Christian homes there, the ministry said.
It was not clear if the injured were Christian residents or others on the street.
The latest attacks came as 35 Christian survivors of a chilling church attack last month arrived in France, where they will be able to seek asylum.
France welcomes church attack survivors
Iraq's Christians remember victims Dozens dead in Iraqi hostage situation
A group called the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for the gruesome October 31 siege of the Sayidat al-Nejat cathedral that left 70 people dead and 75 wounded. The umbrella group includes a number of Sunni extremist organizations and has ties to al Qaeda in Iraq.
Worshippers at the church were about to begin Sunday night services when gunmen entered the church, according to Martin Chulov, a journalist for Britain's Guardian newspaper, who was at the scene.
As many as 120 people were taken hostage, said Lt. Col. Eric Bloom, a U.S. military spokesman. The gunmen held them for hours before security forces stormed in to end the standoff, arresting eight suspects.
Most of the hostages were killed or wounded when the attackers set off explosives inside the church, Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qader Obeidi said.
At least two of the attackers were wearing explosive vests, which they detonated just minutes before security forces raided the church, police officials said.
The gunmen were demanding that the Iraqi government release a number of detainees and prisoners in Iraqi prisons, saying the Christian hostages would be freed in return, according to the police officials.
Iraq's defense minister later said on state television that the kidnappers had demanded the release of a number of prisoners in both Iraq and Egypt.
The Christian people should leave their beloved land of our ancestors and escape the premeditated ethnic cleansing.
Al Qaeda in Iraq
"The sword of slaughter will not be lifted off the necks of their followers until they denounce what the dog of the Egyptian church has committed, and until they show the Mujahedeens their serious endeavor to pressure the combatant (Coptic) church for the release of our Muslim sisters, who are captive in the prisons of their monasteries," the militant group said last week.
Al Qaeda in Iraq later announced that all Christians in the Middle East were now "legitimate targets" after the deadline for the release of the prisoners passed.
On Sunday, a Syriac Orthodox archbishop in Britain called for all Christians in Iraq to leave the country and slammed the Baghdad government for not doing enough to protect the rights of minorities.
"I say clearly and now -- the Christian people should leave their beloved land of our ancestors and escape the premeditated ethnic cleansing. This is better than having them killed one by one," said Archbishop Athanasios Dawood, according to prepared remarks he sent to CNN.
The claim that the Coptic Church in Egypt is holding female prisoners is based on widespread rumors of Coptic women in Egypt converting to Islam and being detained by the church in an attempt to compel or persuade them to return to their original faith.
Both the Egyptian Interior Ministry and the representatives of the Coptic Church in Cairo declined to comment on the matter.
Copts are adherents of an Egyptian sect of Christianity. About nine percent of Egyptians are Coptic, according to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook; 90 percent of Egyptians are Muslim.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/11/10/iraq.christian.attacks/index.html?hpt=T1