Since the launch of the Iraq war in 2003, more than 3,000 members of the local Armenian community left the country, reported Novosti Armenia, citing the head of the National Management of Armenians in Iraq, Paruyr Hakopian. According to the source, Hakopian said that before the war, there were 18,000 Armenians in Iraq and currently only 15,000 of them live in the country. Of those who left, 1,500 immigrated to Syria, about 1,000 have returned to Armenia and about 500 departed for Jordan. Hakopian also underlined, reported Novosti Armenia, that during the four years of the war, 28 Armenian civilians were killed in Iraq. During the same period, another 28 Armenians were kidnapped, 25 of whom were returned to their families after the payment of ransom. The fate of the other two people is still unknown, while the body of the third captive was returned to his family.
Hakobyan noted, that overall, the Armenian community in Iraq does not experience major problems with either of the warring factions, since they prefer their traditional involvement in trade, craft and construction to participation in the political life of Iraq.
This information was originally published March 24, 2007 (www.newsarmenia.ru).