ISIS blows up Catholic church in Mosul

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Islamic State (ISIS) militants blew up a Catholic church in the al-Arabi district of Mosul on Friday, a Pastor told Rudaw.

“Members of the extremist organization (ISIS) cleared the Church of Virgin Mary of its contents in al-Arabi area, north of Mosul and blew it up after few hours,” said Pastor Behnam Raad.

Local sources said that the militants had sealed off the church and planted the bombs on Thursday.

The majority of Mosul’s Christian population fled the city when ISIS took over in June. The group has since demolished a number of Christian, Shiite and Yezidi shrines in and around Mosul among them the ancient shrine of Jonah (Nabi Yunus).