Qaeda claims capture of Iraq Christians

Al Qaeda group The Islamic State of Iraq claimed its fighters had captured Christians and gave the Coptic church in Egypt a 48-hour deadline to release alleged female captives, the SITE monitoring group said Monday.

It said an "angry group of mujahedeen from among the supporters of Allah raided one of the filthy dens of idolatry that was always used by the Christians of Iraq as a headquarters to fight the religion of Islam and to support those who fight that religion," SITE said.

The statement was released after at least seven Christians were killed Sunday in a rescue operation involving US and Iraqi forces to end a hostage drama at a church in Baghdad.

All eight gunmen were killed when US and Iraqi forces mounted a joint operation to rescue worshippers held hostage in the Sayidat al-Nejat church in the Karrada neighbourhood.

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) made no mention of the date or location of its operation, which it said was launched "to help our weak captive Muslim sisters in the Muslim country of Egypt".

It said it was giving the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt 48 hours to indicate the status of Muslim women "imprisoned in... the monasteries of disbelief and the churches of idolatry in Egypt" and to release them.