Watch: Christian soldiers erect cross in town once held by ISIS

Church bells ring out in the Iraqi town of Bartella for the first time in years.

As Iraqi forces continue their offensive against the ISIS-held city of Mosul, reports and images of the re-capturing of a string of villages and towns outside the city have hit the international media.

Video aired on France 24 shows a group of Christian militia fighters from Bartella, a town 13 miles east of Mosul, returning home after having been driven out by ISIS two years ago. Their first actions on entering their village? Erecting a cross, ringing the church bells for the first time since ISIS took over, and kneeling in prayer inside their desecrated church.

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About Catherine Harmon 577 Articles
Catherine Harmon is managing editor of Catholic World Report.