NEWS ALERT: Iraq Christians Face More Bloodshed As Bombings Kill 118
12/8/2009 Iraq (BosNewsLife) – Minority Christians were among those reminded of bloodshed Tuesday, December 8, as a wave of car bombings rocked the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least 118 people and wounding over 200 others. It was the worst violence to hit Baghdad, since October, when two massive car-bombs killed 155 people.
The blasts less than two weeks after two Catholic churches were bombed in the northern city of Mosul, Christians said. On the morning of November 26, a group of some 10 gunmen entered the Church of Saint Ephrem, ordered those inside to leave and placed explosives around the premises, Christians said.
Witnesses said that when the explosives detonated, the building was completely destroyed. Half an hour later, the attackers reportedly proceeded to the Mother House of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine and detonated more explosives. Although five believers were inside the building, no one was injured, said Christian rights group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC).
INTIMIDATION CAMPAIGN
Archbishop Basile Casmoussa of Mosul said that the bombings were clearly part of an intimidation campaign against the Christian minority. Iraqi Christians reportedly described the attacks as “a Mafia warning,” and said they were being warned “to get out of the city.”
The bombings came as a major setback for the international community after violence for the month of November across Iraq dropped significantly, with government figures indicating that just 122 people died. That was seen as the lowest monthly toll since the US-led invasion in April 2003.
