3rd UPDATE / Gunmen in church call for releasing detainees in Egypt, Iraq – priest

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Gunmen taking hostages inside a church in central Baghdad are calling for the release of detainees in Iraq and Egypt, revealed a top Christian figure on Sunday. “We have information that a priest and many of our sons are detained so far inside Sayedat al-Najah Church and that the gunmen are calling for the release of detainees in Iraq and Egypt in return for releasing the hostages,” Metropolitan Shlimon Wardouni told IraqiNews.com news agency. “We’re in great sadness over such inhumane acts that are against God, man and Iraq. We’re invoking God to save the innocent victims detained inside the church who were praying in the Sunday mass for endearment,” he added. Gunmen are taking more than 20 persons hostage inside the church, including women and children as well as a priest. Security forces are besieging the church. “An armed attack targeted the Sayedat al-Najah Church in al-Karrada, central Baghdad, and now security forces are cordoning off the church and dealing with the situation,” the semi-official news channel quoted Maj. General Qassem Atta, the official spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC), as saying. Earlier, a security source said gunmen were keeping several hostages inside the church after they failed to raid the Baghdad Capital Market, adding so far two people were killed and four others wounded. “An armed group of four gunmen tried to raid the Baghdad Capital Market on Sunday evening using stun bombs but the market guards withstood the attack, prompting the gunmen to withdraw in the direction of Sayedat al-Najah Church,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The gunmen used a car bomb in their attack near the market, leaving two guards killed and four others wounded,” he said, not giving further details. Earlier, a security source said four people were wounded in a double blast that took place near the church. “The blasts took place near Sayedat al-Najah Church in East Karrada, central Baghdad, leaving four persons wounded and material damage in an initial reports,” the source had told IraqiNews.com. “Unidentified gunmen attacked police patrols that rushed to the blast site and still clashes are going on between the two sides,” he added. AmR (I) 2