Iraqi terrorists target Christian churches

Security forces found and disabled two more vehicles packed with explosives outside two other parishes.

The bombing and the two foiled attacks in the northern city of Kirkuk signal continued violence against Iraqi Christians, nearly one million of whom have fled since the war began in 2003.

“The terrorists want to make us flee Iraq, but they will fail,” said the Rev Haithem Akram, the priest of one of the churches that was targeted. “We are staying in our country. The Iraqi Christians are easy targets because they do not have militias to protect them. The terrorists want to terrorise us, but they will fail.”

The assault began at 6am local time, when the car blew up outside the Syrian Catholic church, severely damaging the building and nearby houses, said police Colonel Taha Salaheddin.

The parish’s leader, the Rev Imad Yalda, was the only person inside at the time and was wounded. The other casualties were people whose nearby homes were hit by the blast, said police chief Major General Jamal Tahir.

Following the blast at the Syrian Catholic church, police discovered two more car bombs parked outside two other churches in central Kirkuk.