Pope Francis on Sunday denounced the cold-blooded killings of innocent people in Mosul in Iraq.
Speaking to more than 50,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square, Francis expressed his sorrow at the large number of deaths.
"I was saddened to hear news of the cold-blooded killing of many sons and daughters of that beloved land, including many children: this cruelty makes us weep, leaving us without words," Efe news agency quoted the Pontiff as saying.
"In these dramatic hours, I am close to the entire population of Iraq, especially that of the city of Mosul," he added.
The Pope's condemnation came one week after the offensive launched by the Iraqi forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga to kick out the Islamic State (IS) jihadists from Mosul, their main stronghold in Iraq.
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