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| Iraq Christians flee as Islamic State takes Qaraqosh | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of Christians are reported to be fleeing after Islamic militants seized the minority's biggest town in Iraq. | Thousands of Christians are reported to be fleeing after Islamic militants seized the minority's biggest town in Iraq. |
| The Islamic State (IS) group captured Qaraqosh in the north overnight after the withdrawal of Kurdish forces. | The Islamic State (IS) group captured Qaraqosh in the north overnight after the withdrawal of Kurdish forces. |
| An international Christian organisation said at least a quarter of Iraq's Christians were leaving Qaraqosh and other surrounding towns. | An international Christian organisation said at least a quarter of Iraq's Christians were leaving Qaraqosh and other surrounding towns. |
| IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria to create an Islamic caliphate. | IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria to create an Islamic caliphate. |
| Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, have been fighting the Sunni militants in the north for weeks. | |
| The French organisation Fraternite en Irak said on its Facebook page (in French) that a majority of inhabitants of Nineveh province had fled as the militants took over Qaraqosh. | The French organisation Fraternite en Irak said on its Facebook page (in French) that a majority of inhabitants of Nineveh province had fled as the militants took over Qaraqosh. |
| The town, home to some 50,000 Christians, is located 30km (19 miles) southeast of the city of Mosul, which was captured by IS in July. | |
| According to Fraternite en Irak, the commander of the Peshmerga in Qaraqosh told the town's archbishop late on Wednesday that the forces were abandoning their posts. | |
| The Kurdish fighters also retreated from other surrounding Christian towns, including Tel Eskof and Qaramless. | |
| Several archbishops in Nineveh have now confirmed that the towns had fallen. | |
| Iraq is home to one of the world's most ancient Christian communities, but numbers have dwindled amid growing sectarian violence since the US-led invasion in 2003. | Iraq is home to one of the world's most ancient Christian communities, but numbers have dwindled amid growing sectarian violence since the US-led invasion in 2003. |