Monday, November 1, 2010

Iraq TV station taken off air after deadly church raid

Al-Baghdadia, the TV station in Baghdad that said it was contacted by gunmen during Sunday's church hostage drama, has been taken off air. It stopped transmitting shortly after its building was taken over, reportedly by a large number of government troops. The station says its director and another employee have been charged with terrorism-related offences. At least 52 people died when troops stormed the Baghdad church in which gunmen were holding dozens of hostages. The Iraqi government says it had no choice but to storm the Catholic church on Sunday night: Defence Minister Abdul-Qadr al-Obeidi said the gunmen had threatened to kill all their captives. Al-Baghdadia - an independent station based in Egypt - says its public hotline number was phoned by the gunmen who requested it broadcast the news that they wanted to negotiate.

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