In the Iraqi town of Amerli, a hero's welcome for the fighters who --- a day earlier, ended a two month seige on the northern Iraqi town by Islamic State militants.<br/> <br />V's for Victory for the band of Kurdish peshmerga, Iraqi soldiers and Shiite fighters responsible.<br/> <br />The flag of one of the Shiite groups replaces the IS's now well known - and widely feared - black flag.<br/> <br />And locals emerge from their homes to receive food and water supplies --- much of it provided by the west.<br/> <br />More than 15,000 people had been trapped in their homes in Amerli since the seige started.<br/> <br />But as the U.S. carried out air strikes on IS positions around the town, Iraqi soldiers were able to advance into the region.<br/> <br />Reclaiming Amerli is a major strategic victory for the group, who are hoping to slow a Sunni militants blitz through the country.
