Iraq: Christian quarter of Erbil hit in drone strike - but nobody hurt

Drone-damaged Blessed McGivney Apartment Complex, Ankawa, Erbil, Kurdistan region. Image © Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil

Source: Aid to the Church in Need

The Christian-majority quarter of Erbil, Iraq, was struck in a drone attack last night (Wednesday, 4 March) - but "miraculously" there are no reports of injuries.

A block of flats in Erbil's Ankawa district owned by the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil and the nearby convent of the Chaldean Daughters of Mary Immaculate were damaged in the attack at 8pm.

The Blessed Michael McGivney Apartment Complex had been evacuated a few days ago amid threats that the nearby US military base and Erbil International Airport would be targeted following the outbreak of war in the region.

The convent forms part of a complex including a catechism centre and the Church of Sts Peter and Paul which at peak times are full of worshippers and up to 1,000 young people learning about Christianity.

In a statement sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, said: "We are now in a time once again where we pray for the solidarity and support from our brothers and sisters around the world."

John Neill, long-term aide and project co-ordinator for Archbishop Warda, told ACN: "We are very concerned and shocked. War is so indiscriminate. It is miraculous that nobody seems to have been hurt. We pray to the Holy Spirit to help keep everyone safe."

Warning of increased migration from the region, the archbishop also said: "When war erupts in the Middle East, we face another erosion, fast or slow. Do we stay? Do our children have a future?...

"We fear bombs and uncertainty. Our hope in Jesus is not built on politics but on God's faithful presence."

The convent and nearby church were visited only two weeks ago as part of an ACN (UK)-organised trip to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region led by Jim Shannon MP, Chair of the Westminster Parliament's All-Party Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Christians in Ankawa have long been a priority for ACN which provided emergency help for thousands seeking sanctuary after the 2014 Daesh (ISIS) invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains.

The charity is providing ongoing help, sponsoring students at the Catholic University in Erbil and providing catechesis and other Christian education programmes including the Ankawa Youth Meeting, a Christian youth camp.

LINK

Aid to the Church in Need: https://acnuk.org