Region | Iraq

Senior Iraqi officials to probe attacks on Christians in Mosul

Iraq's government pledged to send senior officials to tackle violence against Christians which has led thousands to flee their homes.

  • Reuters
  • Published: 21:36 October 14, 2008
  • Gulf News

Mosul: Iraq's government pledged to send senior officials to tackle violence against Christians which has led thousands to flee their homes.

"The cabinet stressed the need to move quickly to support the security effort with intensive military operations to restore security and order in Mosul and to reassure citizens," government spokesman Ali Al Dabbagh said.

Yunadim Kanna, a Christian lawmaker, said more than 1,500 Christian families have fled the ethnically mixed city Mosul.

The government of Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, has condemned the attacks and has sent more than 1,000 police to keep watch over Christians in Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad.

The targeted violence has brought renewed attention to the plight of Iraq's Christians, who number in the hundreds of thousands.

Kanna, like other Christians, said he was concerned by the shadow of the government in the attacks. "I don't want to accuse anyone, but I am saying that [those carrying out attacks] are wearing police uniforms," he said.

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