Christmas reborn in Iraqi town freed from ISIS




Bartella, Iraq (CNN)In the ancient Iraqi Christian town of Bartella -- recently liberated from ISIS -- Christmas was celebrated for the first time in more than two years on Saturday.

It was an emotional return for members of Bartella's displaced Christian community, who had been forced to flee when their hometown was overrun by the Islamist terror group. It was taken back from ISIS in late October.

Hundreds of Christians made the pilgrimage in buses on a gray, rainy Christmas Eve. They came mostly from camps for the displaced that have been set up in the city of Irbil.

Bartella is just 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) east of the ISIS stronghold of Mosul -- where coalition forces still are battling thousands of militants.

As mass was celebrated Saturday, dozens of Iraqi and US security forces were on standby to protect worshipers at the historic, battle-scarred Mart Shmony Church. A security officer searching cars at a checkpoint said ISIS had been threatening to carry out attacks in Bartella.