Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled their hometown after Islamic State (IS) militants overran the country’s biggest Christian village, Qaraqoush.<br /><br />The capture of Qaraqoush, which is in northern Iraq, brings IS militants to the edge of the Iraqi Kurdish territory and its regional capital Arbil.<br /><br />About 300 Christians have taken refuge in Arbil. <br /><br />Families spent the night in the pews of St. Joseph’s cathedral, many without blankets or mattresses. Some even stayed outside on the ground.<br /><br />Many Christians are glad that US military aircraft have targeted Islamic State positions near Airbil.<br /><br />Khalid Jamal Alber, General Director Ministry of Religious Affairs, Kurdish Regional Government said: “We thank Barack Obama again. Due to his decision that he will give military support to Peshmerga.<br /><br />“And he also makes sure that Kurdistan is the place for religious minorities and it’s also a place for their (US) institutions and it’s in their own interests to protect them,” he continued.<br /><br />Arkan Shamhoun, an internally displaced person from Hamdaniyah said: “We want action, not only talking. Because we heard a lot from the Iraqi government but all of them are thieves and liars. We only heard talking.” <br /><br />Meanwhile, US planes dropped food and water to members of the Yazidi community sheltering in the mountains after the militants captured their hometown of Sinjar.
