Christian Archbishop Found Dead in Iraq

Tolerant Islam Alert
After being kidnapped, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho, was found dead along with three others near the town of Mosul.

"Christians are a tiny fraction of Iraq's population, but insurgents have targeted their religious sites and leaders in recent years." CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official.

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Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho's body was found Thursday near the town of Mosul, where he and three companions were ambushed by gunmen on February 29.

The archbishop's driver and two security guards were killed during the attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had ordered security services to make it a priority to find and free the archbishop.

Nineveh Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran, in Mosul, told CNN that the kidnappers had been in touch with the church and the relatives and wanted to be a paid a ransom for the archbishop's release. The contacts ended a few days ago.

The apparent kidnappers had contacted relatives on Thursday and told them the body was in the eastern part of town. Relatives and authorities went to the location and found the body, which had gunshot wounds.