Iraqi police today stormed a church which had been taken over by
suspected al-Qaida-linked gunmen, releasing about 100 worshippers who
had been taken hostage, Iraqi and US officials said.
"The
operation has finished and we released all the hostages," Brigadier
General Ali Ibrahim, the commander of the federal police in
south-eastern Baghdad, said.
US military officials – who watched the rescue operation from helicopters above the scene – confirmed the report.
Gunmen
attacked the Syrian Catholic church in central Baghdad, detonating
three bombs before fighting battles with security forces and taking
hostages in the building, a security official said.
Younadam Kana,
a Christian MP, said parishioners who had called him from inside the
church estimated that the gunmen had held some 100 people hostage.
SIC: TG/UK