Car Bomb Explodes Near Iraq Church: 23 Hurt

A car bomb detonated outside a Christian church in Iraq early Tuesday, injuring at least 23 people, police say. Among the wounded were the church’s priest and three children. According to an Iraqi officer, another bomb was found and disabled at two nearby parishes in Kirkuk, around 180 miles north of Baghdad. "The terrorists want to make us flee Iraq, but they will fail," said one of the church's priests, the Rev. Haitham Akram. An estimated 1 million Iraqi Christians have fled since the war started in 2003. Last year, an Oct. 31 siege in Baghdad left 68 dead and scores wounded after al-Qaida suicide bombers held worshipers hostage. According to The Associated Press, many Christians in the country are targeted by Sunni extremists for their differing views.

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