Reports monitored on April 6 at 1815 GMT from the Al Jazeera satellite television channel have stated that Al Nidal Street, where the Baghdad Seventh-day Adventist Church is situated has been shelled. There is no confirmation as to which stretch of the three-kilometre road was hit. Normally, no church services held at this time on Sunday nights.

As the ground war has now reached Baghdad some Iraqi workers at the Middle East Union (MEU) office in Nicosia, Cyprus, also observed television pictures of the Al Mansour district being shelled. "This is a residential neighbourhood where several Adventists are living, including the chairman of the legal association for the registered church in Iraq," comments the spouse of an Iraqi worker at the MEU.

For the passed nine days all means of communication with the Seventh-day Adventist members in Iraq have been severed. Anxiety about their whereabouts and health continues to dominate the thoughts of their friends, colleagues and families around the world. "Over the weekend I have been in regular contact with my Iraqi colleagues in Nicosia but none of them has been able to verify if the service in the Adventist Church in Baghdad went ahead or whether the members have been injured or their properties damaged in any way," says Alex Elmadjian, communication director for the MEU. "We sense the urgent responsibility of trying to provide the world church with regular reports so that they can be more focused in their intercessory prayer but there is just very little accurate information that can be circulated at this stage."

Michael Porter, MEU and Iraq Field president reports that dozens of phone calls, emails and faxes, in various languages, continue to be received at the office from around the world. "Our world church family is pledging their prayer support, expressing heartfelt sentiments and quoting powerful promises from scripture to encourage their brothers and sisters in Iraq," says Pastor Porter. Many of these messages were faxed to Baghdad Church before the fax lines were cut off. The remainder will be collected at the office and sent on at the earliest opportunity.

There are three congregations with more than 200 Seventh-day Adventist members in Iraq, most of who live in Baghdad. [Editor: Alex Elmadjian/ANR and Christian B. Schäffler/APD]