Churches attacked in Mosul. Christians Kidnapped and Injured

Monday, December 20, 2004. In a statement by Bishop Mar Polous Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Catholic Bishop in Mosul, to www.ankawa.com, three churches were attacked in Mosul today. At 2:30 p.m. local time, the bishopcrate of Mar (St.) Afram of the Syriac Orthodox in Hay al-Shurta (Police quarters) was attacked with artillery. Exlosion hit the main door of the church hall. Meanwhile, the Church of al-Bashara Syriac Catholic in Hay al-Muhandiseen (Engineers quarters) and the Chaldean bishopcrate of al-Tahira (attacked earlier) were bombed .

Furthermore, on December 20, 2004, and according to www.ankawa.com, an unidentified group in Mosul kidnapped Michael Daddeza, a teacher (50 years old, married with children), from the Assyrian town of Baghdeda, was kidnapped as he was returning from the elementary school of Hawsalan village where he taught. Michael was with his friend at the time and it seems that his friend was kidnapped as well.

Earlier on Sunday, December 19, 2004, two more Christians, Ghassan Michael Kacho (married with four children) and Ammar Habib Jallo (married with two children), of Baghdeda too, were kidnapped while they were cultivating at Qeeraj.

Additionally, a Christian student Reem Khalid, and her friend whose name has not been identified yet, were injured when exchange of fire between the Iraqi national guards and militants took place in the college of Engineering (Irrigation and Tapping Dept.) and College of Science (Geology Dept) at Mosul University.

According to another source three Chaldean Assyrian women were abducted also.

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