|
10-23-2016, 07:56 PM
|
|
n/a
|
|
Join Date: n/a
Posts: n/a
|
|
Part of his game.....
This news broke at approx 7:14 PM
Iraqi forces have raised the national flag over a church in a town near Mosul retaken from the Islamic State group.
IS militants had sprayed graffiti on the walls of the church, and the floors were littered with dirt and garbage. The extremists had also marked several homes along the main road of Bartella with the first Arabic letter in a derogatory word for Christians, their way of marking Christian property. Under IS rule, Christians are forced to convert to Islam or pay a special tax.
Iraqi special forces pushed into the traditionally Christian town of Bartella, around 15 kilometers (nine miles) from Mosul, on Thursday. The assault is part of a wide-scale offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, which fell to IS in 2014.
Iraqi soldiers rang the church bell in Bartella on Friday and congratulated Christians.
Lt. Gen. Talib Shaghati said "Bartella was liberated yesterday, and today we are inside its church. I bring the good news to our Christian brothers that the church is liberated."
The Latest: Iraqis Raise Flag Over Church in Town Near Mosul - ABC News
Trump tweet at 7:40 PM
"The attack on Mosul is turning out to be a total disaster. We gave them months of notice. U.S. is looking so dumb. VOTE TRUMP and WIN AGAIN!"
|