Islamic State troops seize fourth-century monastery
A day after most of Mosul’s Christians fled, Islamic State fighters stormed the fourth-century Mar Behnam monastery near the city.
They forced two priests, a monk, a guard, and a few families taking refuge there to leave the Syriac Catholic compound. Like many Christians fleeing from Mosul, which lies in the province of Nineveh, home to many historic Christian places of worship, the refugees traveled to the relative safety of Kurdish-controlled areas.
Faced with an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a religious tax, or be killed, most of Mosul’s Christians had fled by July 19. The following day, militants descended on the monastery.
