Mosul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Twin bomb blasts have struck Christian churches in Mossul, in northern Iraq.  It appears that neither blast caused victims. Both attacks were carried out in the same manner: a commando entered the church, had people leave the premises and set off bombs. The first blast struck the Chaldean cathedral in Mossul, northern Iraq. The church in question was considered by many the most beautiful in the area.

The news was given by a local priest, Fr. Raghid Aziz Kara, according to whom an armed group stormed the church this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. local time and forced the people there to move into the courtyard. The commando then placed various explosive devices in the church. Again according to Fr. Kara, the attackers then moved everyone out of the area and set off the bombs.

Mossul's Chaldean church was build in 1950 and was enlarged in the 1990s.  A similar attack was carried out almost simultaneously against an Armenian-rite church in the city.  In this case as well, attackers cleared people out of the church and then made their bombs explode.