Attack on Cathedral in Central African Republic - Many Killed - PRAY

Central African Republic: Many killed as rebels storm Cathedral | St Joseph's Cathedral,  Banbari, Central African Republic
ICN Report: Following our earlier report ICN has now learnt that rebel fighters and armed Muslim civilians have killed 'many' people , in an attack on St Joseph's Cathedral in Banbari, Central African Republic where thousands of mainly Christian civilians had taken refuge.
Church officials said fighters from the Seleka rebel movement and armed civilians from the town's Muslim community entered the Cathedral around 3pm local time yesterday.
Fr Jesus Martial Dembele, vicar general for the archdiocese of Bangui told Reuters: “We don't have the exact death toll yet, but many people have been killed. As I'm speaking to you, they are still there.”
A nun inside the compound said in a brief phone call: “They came in. They are killing people.”
Source: Archdiocese of Bangul, Fides
-------Earlier Report
Fides Report: Bangui (Agenzia Fides) - The Cathedral of Saint-Joseph in Bambari, in the area where there are more than 12,000 displaced people, is surrounded by the rebels of Seleka, said the local Bishop launching an appeal to Fides Agency (see Fides 01/07/2014). 
According to local Church sources contacted by Fides Agency in the capital Bangui, "the little information we have received, there are no reports of injuries among the displaced, but it is difficult to get more information, because the phone lines with the region of Bambari are blocked".
Some agency sources claim that the siege began in the early afternoon yesterday, July 7. The attackers fired at the Cathedral complex, which includes a school and the Episcopate. According to the testimony of a priest, several people have taken refuge in the sanctuary, but some of them were reached by firearms. It seems one person died. 
In the city there are the French military of the Sangaris force, who clashed with the rebels. The population has been living in tension for a week in Bambari due to the presence of the rebels of Seleka and anti-Balaka groups. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 08/07/2014)

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