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The attack on a Catholic church (Our Lady of Salvation) in Baghdad, resulted in the death of at least 45 people while more than 70 were wounded.
Attackers stormed the church in the Karrada District on Sunday night, taking more than 100 people hostage.
At least 45 people were killed and 70 others were wounded including security forces, a police source told Alsumaria News.
Gunmen blew themselves up inside the church, the source said.
The standoff was ended on Monday at 3am at dawn, he added.
Defense Minister Abdul Qader Al Ubaidi affirmed that security forces successfully managed to free worshippers. The attack bears Al Qaeda prints, he said.
The Islamic State of Iraq, a group which is linked to Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attackers were demanding the release of female prisoners from Iraqi and Egyptian jails.
They gave the Coptic church in Egypt a 48-hour deadline to release alleged female captives, the monitoring group SITE said on Monday.
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