Yazidis celebrate after Kurds break siege on Sinjar Mountains

Reuters 2014-12-21

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Homes lie in ruins in Iraq's Sinjar Mountains.

A months-long siege by Islamic State militants has left the area's Yazidi residents clinging to their faith.

They find solace in the arrival of Kurdish peshmerga fighters, who broke through IS front lines Saturday.

As they drive up the mountains, a heroes welcome from Yazidi children.

Still, the threat of death is never far.

Smoke billows from the town of Sinjar, where peshmerga fighters say they're almost in control.

(SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) COLONEL ISKANDER FARED, SAYING:

"Peshmerga will continue pushing forward. Islamic State is being defeated and they have started to withdraw. They face a slight resistance and now they are fleeing and burning civilian homes. There was almost no resistance after their front lines collapsed. They started to flee and left behind 19 bodies. They have had many casualties."

It was the plight of the Yazidi minority trapped on the mountain - together with the IS adv

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