(The Independent) Christians in Iraq have reportedly formed their own armed militia in an attempt to reclaim their towns from Isis militants who advanced across swathes of the country last year.
Iraqi Christians, Turkmen, Yazidis and other minorities have faced persecution at the hands of Isis since the group's bloody rampage began across northern Iraq in 2014.
Thousands of Christians and Yazidis fled their homes in Mosul when militants ordered them to convert, pay a special tax or be put to death, leaving more than 150,000 displaced across the country.
Now, thousands of Christian men are joining a new Iraqi militia in the Nineveh plains in a bid to protect the few remaining towns and villages from falling into the hands of militants.