Meanwhile, Iraq's beleagured president Nouri al - Maliki accused the organisation of trying to destroy the «centuries - old heritage» of Christians in Iraq, he said: «What is being done by the Daesh terrorist gang [ISIS]
against our Christian citizens in Ninevah province, and their
aggression against the churches and houses of worship in the areas under their control, reveals beyond any doubt the extremist criminal and terrorist
nature of this group, he said.