The Catholic community in northern Iraq is dealing with the aftermath of a drone attack on the Chaldean Catholic complex in Ankawa, near Irbil. The assault, which occurred amid ongoing regional conflict, resulted in significant damage to the chapel within the housing complex but caused no injuries.
“We thank God for the safety of everyone,” said Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar M. Warda of Irbil after the incident. The complex includes a chapel, convent, and housing facilities serving members of the Chaldean Church.
“We thank God that the damage is material. The chapel of this housing complex has been damaged completely,” Archbishop Warda told OSV News by phone from Ankawa.
He expressed concern about renewed fears among local Christians: “But right from the beginning when the war (with Iran) started and there were these kinds of missiles and rockets, the whole fears and wounds of the past came back again.”
Many members of Iraq’s Christian minority have previously faced displacement and violence, particularly during attacks by Islamic State militants about ten years ago. The area affected by this latest strike lies roughly 60 to 90 miles west of Iran’s border.
“When we meet people at the daily Mass and after the Mass, everyone is not just concerned,” he said. “But you can see the fear because of the instability. Until when? Until when?” Archbishop Warda asked.
He spoke about decades of conflict in Iraq that have brought repeated hardship to communities across religious lines: “It’s just continuing in that sense. And no matter what the Church is trying to deal with — all of these consequences of all of the violence and wars, there is always a surprise, always a new scenario, a new story to be told.”
“Yes, we keep strong in faith and hope. We have to have that hope and we are building from that hope,” Archbishop Warda said. “But yes, we cannot deny this feeling that the fears, worries and concerns are there. You can feel it.”
According to a statement from March 4 issued by church authorities, most residents had left their apartments days before due to security concerns linked to proximity with Irbil International Airport. The building serves both as accommodation for archdiocesan workers and as shelter for young families who fled earlier violence inflicted by ISIS militants starting in 2014.
“We thank God that no injuries were reported among the residents of the complex, nor among the security forces,” stated church officials.
“Security personnel and civil defense teams promptly arrived at the scene to take the necessary measures and assess the extent of the damage,” it continued.
Archbishop Warda called for international solidarity: “We are now in a time once again where we pray for the solidarity and support from our brothers and sisters around the world, that these times of violence and war will come to an end, and that our suffering people may yet have a chance to return to lives of peace and dignity,” he said.
