Dozens of Christians in northern Iraq have hesitantly returned to church for the first time in over two years after their town was freed from Isis.

Quraqosh, to the south of the Isis stronghold of Mosul, was recaptured from the jihadis last week as Iraqi coalition forces continue their two-week-old assault to drive Isis from the city.

Church bells rang out from the damaged bell tower for the first time in years as townspeople and troops erected makeshift wooden crosses on the roof of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Inside the church, the walls were blackened and charred from fires lit by Isis fighters as they retreated from the town last week, and statues lay on the floor in pieces.

But despite the chaos, dozens of civilans and members of the security forces approached the ruined altar to receive holy communion from the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Butrus Moshe on Sunday.

“Today Qaraqosh is free of Daesh [Isis],” Archbishop Moshe told worshippers.

Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Show all 10 1 /10 Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian prepares for the first Sunday Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christian soldiers attend the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian soldier holds his weapon during the first Sunday mass Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian soldier lights a candle Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christian soldiers attend the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul in Iraq October 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah - RTX2R245 Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian soldier attends the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul in Iraq October 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah - RTX2R256 Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christian soldiers attend the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul in Iraq October 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah - RTX2R269 Reuters

“Our role today is to remove all the remnants of [Isis],” he said. “This includes erasing sedition, separation and conflicts, which victimised us,” the archbishop - who was born in the town - added.

Qaraqosh - Iraq’s largest Christian town and one of the oldest centres of the religion in the world - was captured during the group’s rapid blitz across the country from Syria in the summer of 2014.

Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes for neighbouring Kurdish provinces after being given an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a tax levied on Christians, or face death.

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“Political and sectarian strife, separating between one man and another, between ruler and follower, these mentalities must be changed,” Archbishop Moshe said.

Iraq has seen a sharp decline in its Christian population since the 2003 US-led invasion due to ongoing violence, but even more people have died or fled the country since Isis took over multi-ethnic Mosul two years ago.

Removing the group will signal the end of Isis as a land-holding force in the country, but analysts fear up to 1.5million Mosul residents could be caught in the crossfire as the Iraqi coalition advances.