Residents of Qaraqosh, the largest and oldest Christian town in Iraq, have begun returning to their hometown and picking up the pieces after the Iraqi army backed up by a Christian militia liberated the town from the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.
Among those who have returned to Qaraqosh was Father Cherbel. According to a report from France24.com, the priest could not hide his joy as he greeted an Iraqi army commander and his soldiers at the church gate while donning his white soutane and a cross around his neck.
Behind Father Cherbel's smile, however, is a sad truth: The town he called home was left in ruins by the ISIS militants, with buildings either completely collapsed or peppered with bullet holes.
Although most of the extremists have already left the area, firefights still happen from time to time as Iraqi troops conduct house-to-house operations in an attempt to hunt down remaining members of the terror group. The troops are also detonating explosives left behind by the militants to ensure the safety of returning residents.
"It's the first time I'm returning to Qaraqosh. I don't feel very free – not yet anyway," said Father Cherbel, who fled the Christian town two years ago to escape from ISIS rule.
Also among the buildings damaged during the ISIS' conquest of Qaraqosh were a number of ancient churches, chapels and monasteries.
For instance, one of the monasteries in the Christian town was severely desecrated, with images and statues of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary defaced. At another chapel in Qaraqosh, Christian texts have been replaced by the sacred Muslim book, the Quran, and other materials put out by the ISIS propaganda unit.
"Their behaviour dishonours Islam," an unnamed Iraqi soldier was quoted as saying.
Earlier this month, Qaraqosh was freed from ISIS rule by the Iraqi army's 9th Armoured Division and a Christian militia known as the Nineveh Protection Unit. Some Christians chose to take up arms to oust the Islamic militants from their area.
Around 1.5 million Christians were estimated to live in Iraq during the early 2000s. As conflict tore the Middle Eastern nation, this number is estimated to have dwindled to 500,000 or less.
In Qaraqosh, in particular, 50,000 Christians were estimated to have lived before the ISIS takeover. It remains uncertain how many will return after the town's liberation from the terror group.
