Jan 4, 2018

More than half of Iraqis displaced by conflict to other parts of the country have returned to their homes, the UN migration agency said on Thursday.

At the end of December, more than 3.2 million displaced Iraqis had gone home while 2.6 millions still lived away, the International Organization for Migration said.

Iraqi forces have regained large swathes of the country from the Islamic State group since the jihadists seized them in 2014, sending tens of thousands running for their lives.

In December, Baghdad declared victory over IS after a three-year war against the jihadists that caused tens of thousands more to flee.

"The retaking of areas by the Iraqi forces is significant, as is the improvement of security," said IOM communications officer Sandra Black.