<p>In the incident, which unfolded Sunday evening during services, two priests were killed, local residents said.<br /><br />A person who was inside the church said that at least one of the religious leaders was shot by the militants at point-blank range.<br /><br />The death toll is expected to rise as some of the released hostages suffer serious injuries, Pascal Warda, a member of the Assyrian Christian community, told DPA.<br /><br />She added that tightened security measures were being implemented at Christian schools across Baghdad.<br /><br />Iraqi forces stormed the Our Lady of Salvation church, an Assyrian Catholic temple, hours after militants had taken about 100 people hostage inside the building.<br /><br />Residents reported explosions and gunfire as the militants took control of the church and then again as the police intervened.<br /><br />Baghdad Security Chief Qassem Atta said that there were eight militants who were killed as Iraqi forces moved to end the seizure.<br /><br />Earlier reports said that there were only five militants in the attack, which took place in al-Karrada, a mixed Shiite-Christian neighbourhood.<br /><br />It is not clear how many members of the security forces were killed in the attack.<br /><br />The militants, who claimed they belonged to the Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, were demanding the release of Islamist militants members being held in Iraq and Egypt.</p>
<p>In the incident, which unfolded Sunday evening during services, two priests were killed, local residents said.<br /><br />A person who was inside the church said that at least one of the religious leaders was shot by the militants at point-blank range.<br /><br />The death toll is expected to rise as some of the released hostages suffer serious injuries, Pascal Warda, a member of the Assyrian Christian community, told DPA.<br /><br />She added that tightened security measures were being implemented at Christian schools across Baghdad.<br /><br />Iraqi forces stormed the Our Lady of Salvation church, an Assyrian Catholic temple, hours after militants had taken about 100 people hostage inside the building.<br /><br />Residents reported explosions and gunfire as the militants took control of the church and then again as the police intervened.<br /><br />Baghdad Security Chief Qassem Atta said that there were eight militants who were killed as Iraqi forces moved to end the seizure.<br /><br />Earlier reports said that there were only five militants in the attack, which took place in al-Karrada, a mixed Shiite-Christian neighbourhood.<br /><br />It is not clear how many members of the security forces were killed in the attack.<br /><br />The militants, who claimed they belonged to the Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, were demanding the release of Islamist militants members being held in Iraq and Egypt.</p>