Mosul's Christians hold 1st mass since IS disposal

IRBIL, Dec 25 (KUNA) -- The Christians of Mosul, Iraq, held their first mass since the disposal of the so-called Islamic State (IS), which had taken over the city back in 2013.
At the service, the attendees prayed for peace in Mosul, the country, and the whole world.
The Kurdistan regional government decided that Sunday and Monday would be considered official holidays.
After long battles, which lasted for months, the Iraqi troops -- backed by a regional and international coalition -- managed to take back the city from IS.
According to some statistics, the number of Christian Iraqis prior to 2003 was at 1.4 million.
Today, it is estimated that only 450,000 Christians remain in Iraq, while around a million have fled the country due to IS brutal policies against other religious minorities. (end) sbr.gta