Tens of thousands of Christians fled northern cities Thursday as the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria launched an offensive into Christian communities in the mostly autonomous Kurdish region.

The assault was so significant that Kurdish fighters who were protecting the Christian villages were forced to flee with the residents.

“The Nineveh plain yesterday was emptied of its people,” Tal Keif Mayor Bassem Bello told the Wall Street Journal. “There is not a Christian town left standing.”

Bello said that 30,000 Christian residents of the city fled overnight toward cities further into the Kurdish region hoping to find protection by Kurdish militia.

The terrorist group has been on a roll of successful attacks since they overran the defenses of the city of Mosul in early June.  The group has been taking surrounding towns, destroying churches and any buildings or emblems of Christianity or Judiasm.  They also issued commands to any residents remaining in the communities to convert to Islam or be killed.

The insurgents posted videos online of destroying Christians and Jewish homes while shouting “allahu akbar.”