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Christian priest shot dead in Iraq
The man was killed in a drive-by shooting.
Last Modified: 05 Apr 2008 18:26 GMT
Christians in Iraq have suffered an increasing number of attacks in recent months [EPA] 
A priest of the Assyrian Orthodox church has been shot dead in Baghdad, officials say.
 
Youssef Adel, a priest with the Saint Peter's Church in the Iraqi capital's Karrada neighbourhood, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Saturday around noon (0900 GMT).
The Christian community in Iraq has suffered an increasing number of attacks in recent months.
 
Last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, a Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in the city two weeks after being kidnapped.
Iraqi Christians, with Chaldeans forming the largest group, numbered an estimated 800,000 before the US-led invasion.
 
They are now half that size, with people leaving the country due to the poor security situation.
 
More violence
 
Elsewhere, at least four people were killed and 15 wounded when a bomb exploded on a minibus in the capital.

The blast occured during the morning rush hour, in an eastern area of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, in the southern city of Basra, residents say an airstrike killed four people and injured eight.

It comes a day after Iraq's prime minister ordered a nationwide freeze on raids against militias.
Source:
Agencies
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