07/05/2010, 00.00
IRAQ
Send to a friend

Car bomb explodes in Kirkuk, Chaldean archbishop’s residence hit

Kurdish imam, head of the local Sunni community assets office, target of attack. He was wounded along with his bodyguards. The blast destroyed the doors and windows and damaged the cathedral of the archdiocese. AsiaNews sources: political instability means a” difficult July” in Iraq.

Kirkuk (AsiaNews) - A car bomb exploded Saturday morning near the residence of the Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, causing damage to the building and the cathedral. According to preliminary reports, the target of the attack was an imam of the Kurdish PUK, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, who was wounded in the attack. AsiaNews sources in Iraq speak of a "difficult July" for the country, gripped by a political stalemate which - after four months from the elections - has failed to lead to the formation of a new government.

An eyewitness said that yesterday, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, a car packed with explosives blew up just 50 meters away from the Chaldean archbishopric of Kirkuk. The target of the attack was the Head of the assets Office of the local Sunni community, who had recently left the office on his way home. He is a Kurdish religious leader linked to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and was injured in the attack. His bodyguards were also wounded.

Christian sources for AsiaNews confirm damage to the Archbishop’s residence: The bomb destroyed doors and windows and also damaged the nearby cathedral. Despite the incident, the faithful packed the building for Mass on Sunday evening.

A "July difficult" is being forecast for Iraq because of widespread political instability, and the inability to form the new government. Parliamentary elections were held on 7 March that were won by secularist former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. The outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki denounced fraud and launched a series of negotiations to gain a majority in Parliament, which provides the mandate for the formation of the new government.
TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
"We are optimistic," says Paul Bhatti as Rimsha Masih's bail hearing postponed to Friday
03/09/2012
Scheduled for next month, first post-Saddam census already causing tensions
27/09/2010
Car bombs against three churches in Kirkuk
09/01/2008
Arabs see democracy as weakening the economy, like China’s model
06/07/2022 16:55
Silence must not descend on Archbishop of Mosul
11/03/2008


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”