France, Britain to Supply Arms to Kurdish Military

ERBIL, Kurdistan -- The Kurdish army, called the Peshmerga, is diligently working to keep the Islamic State (ISIS) fighters at bay as the heavily armed terrorists draw near the capital of Kurdistan.

The jihadist army has turned Erbil and much of northern Iraq into a land of refugees, with more than 1 million Iraqis fleeing to the region to escape its onslaught.

Reports are emerging of a military buildup on the frontlines both by ISIS and the Kurdish military.
    
In a positive turn of events, Britain announced it would send ammunition and France said it would be sending heavy weaponry to the Kurdish military.

Kurdish commanders say heavy weapons are very important for the Peshmerga because ISIS is able to shell them while staying out of range. The jihadists plundered the equipment, which was originally supplied by the United States, from the Iraqi army.

Meanwhile, continuing U.S. airstrikes have been a big boost to the Kurds. In fact, about 10 days ago, many Kurds felt ISIS would attack Erbil and some even fled the city.

The Pentagon announced that 130 advisers would be sent to the region and one of their goals will be to rescue the thousands of Yazidis stranded on Mount Sinjar. That's just over a three-hour drive from Erbil.

The crisis with the Yazidis is the highest level of emergency, the U.N. says.

According to reports, ISIS has massacred hundreds of women and children. Many of the women were used as sex slaves and pressured to convert to Islam.

CBN News has also observed the churches in Erbil reaching out to help the thousands of Christians and non-Christians who've fled the scourge of ISIS.

What role can Christians have during this crisis? Representatives from the World Evangelical Alliance join CBN News Senior International Reporter Gary Lane for a round-table discussion. 

Many of these refugees have horror stories about how ISIS stole their property and gave them the choice to leave, convert to Islam or die.

We'll bring you that story and more in our continuing coverage of the crisis in northern Iraq.