Iraqi Christians, pushed from town by ISIS, return for Christmas Eve mass

Once home to thousands of Assyrian Christians, Bartella, on the outskirts of Mosul in Nineveh province, fell to Islamic State (IS) militants in August 2014.

IS ransacked the Mar Shimoni church, destroying crosses and removing religious icons and other fixtures, before setting it alight.

Iraqi forces freed Bartella in October as part of an ongoing campaign to liberate nearby Mosul. But residents have not been able to return; much of the town has been destroyed in recent fighting, and basic services are lacking. The militants also planted bombs in the city.

Worshippers were bused to the town from the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital of Irbil, where they have been living.