Pope Francis. AFP=Yonhap News
Pope Francis strongly condemned the terrorist acts, amid more than 140 casualties in a series of bombings that killed themselves in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The Pope is set to visit Iraq this year.
On the 21st (local time), in a message in the name of the Pope to Iraqi President Bahram Saleh, the Pope was very sad to hear the news of the bomb attack in Baghdad this morning. “I pray for the bereaved family and the injured.” The Pope added that he hoped that all Iraqis would continue their efforts to overcome violence peacefully through fraternity and solidarity.
Since last year, the Holy See has announced that the Pope plans to visit Iraq on a schedule of March 5-8. The Pope’s visit to Iraq is the first in history, including the city of Mosul, one of the bases of the IS, including Baghdad, the capital of the terrorist attack. However, due to local issues in Iraq and the pandemic of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), the Pope’s visit may be delayed or canceled.
On January 21 (local time), a bomb terror broke out in the Iraqi capital market. EPA=Yonhap News
The bombing in the Bob Al-Sharky area in central Baghdad on the morning of that morning has killed 32 people and injured 110. Iraqi military authorities said the terrorist attacks were the actions of the remnants of the defunct Sunni extremist terrorist group’Islamic State’ (IS). The IS, once occupied one-third of Iraq’s land, was officially defeated in March of last year, when it even captured Syrian Baguz, its last stronghold. The remnants are aiming for a resurgence based in Iraq and Syria.
Reporter Oh Wonseok [email protected]