Two Armenian women - Rita Margaryan and Seda Kasarjyan - were severely wounded in an act of terrorism in a street in Baghdad last week. Rita Margaryan was severely wounded and is at hospital now. Like the rest of the country population, the Armenian community of Iraq, which numbers some 16-17 thousand, suffered from the war launched in 2003. Besides material damage, 18 Armenians were killed, 5 out of which died during the hostilities, one - from a shot of an American soldier and the rest - in acts of terrorism, organized in churches and other public places.

Terrorists blew up an Armenian church in Northern town of Masul in 2004. The fate of two Armenians -Vahe Vardanyan and Ara Bushyan, who have been missing for 6 moths, - is not known yet. The car of Harutyun Bablanyan, an ethnic Armenian physician, was stopped by people dressed in police uniform. The physician was taken hostage. He was saved only after $75 thousand were paid for his release. Similar cases are frequent in Iraq and Armenians taken hostage are released only after huge sums are paid for them. Armenians also receive letters with threats that demand to render tribute to Mojahedins. Some 300 Armenian families moved to different countries after the war. Most of these returned to Armenia, reports Karabakh-online referring to a source in Baghdad.