Iraqi Christian complex hit by suspected Iranian drone attack

A Christian community in Iraq has been hit by a drone attack, although “miraculously” there have been no reported deaths and even injuries.

As Iran, the US and Israel proceed to hurl missiles at one another, many from other countries have been caught within the crossfire.

The Christian-majority quarter of Erbil, Iraq, was hit by one such drone on Wednesday night. While it just isn’t known who launched the attack, it’s suspected to be an Iranian drone targeting a close-by US military base or possibly the Erbil International Airport.

Although no-one was harmed, a block of flats owned by the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil and the nearby convent of the Chaldean Daughters of Mary Immaculate were each damaged. Fortunately the flats had already been evacuated attributable to their proximity to the US base.

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda, of Erbil, told Aid to the Church in Need, “We at the moment are in a time once more where we pray for the solidarity and support from our brothers and sisters around the globe.”

The archbishop added that the most recent conflict would once more prompt the region’s remaining Christians to think about whether or not to remain. Prior to the US’s 2003 invasion of Iraq, the country’s Christian population is estimated to have been almost one and a half million people.

However, the war, followed by the conflict with ISIS, led to an exodus of Christians, and there are only believed to be around a couple of hundred thousand remaining.

“When war erupts within the Middle East, we face one other erosion, fast or slow. Do we stay? Do our youngsters have a future? … We fear bombs and uncertainty. Our hope in Jesus just isn’t built on politics but on God’s faithful presence.”

Archbishop Warda’s aide, John Neill, said of Wednesday’s drone attack, “We are very concerned and shocked. War is so indiscriminate. It is miraculous that no person seems to have been hurt. We pray to the Holy Spirit to assist keep everyone secure.”