Two bombs in Christian areas of the Iraqi
capital Baghdad have killed at least 35
people, officials have said.
One device exploded near a Catholic church
when worshippers were leaving a
Christmas Day service, killing 24. Another
bomb ripped through a market, killing 11
more people.
Christian leaders denied that the attacks
had targeted worshippers.
Iraq’s ancient Christian community has
more than halved in recent years, from an
estimated population of 900,000.
Both blasts happened in the Dora area of
Baghdad.
The bomb outside St John’s Catholic church
exploded in a parked car, shortly after a
blast at an outdoor market in the mainly
Christian al-Athorien district.
No-one has yet admitted carrying out the
attacks, which came as Christmas Day
services were held across Iraq.
During a service at St Joseph Chaldean
church in the Karrada area of the capital,
Father Saad Seroub called for peace and
security for all Iraqis.
‘Feeding terrorism’
Churches have been targeted across the
country since the fall of Saddam Hussein in
2003.
An attack by gunmen in 2010 on the
Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad left more
than 50 people dead.
A surge in sectarian violence this year has
claimed the lives of more than 7,000
civilians in Iraq, the highest annual number
of fatalities since 2008.
Most of the attacks have targeted Shia
civilians and the smaller Sunni population.
The bloodshed escalated in April, after the
army raided a Sunni anti-government
protest camp.
The conflict in Syria has also prompted a
spike in attacks, many involving al-Qaeda in
Iraq.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told the BBC
on Sunday that the Syrian crisis was
“feeding terrorism in the region

Criminal Ibos:
Christian leaders denied that the attacks
had targeted worshippers.

the church leader who was present and was more sensible than you tells us better. It was not targeted at them