In the Iraqi town of Amerli, a hero's welcome for the fighters who --- a day earlier, ended a two month seige on the northern Iraqi town by Islamic State militants.
V's for Victory for the band of Kurdish peshmerga, Iraqi soldiers and Shiite fighters responsible.
The flag of one of the Shiite groups replaces the IS's now well known - and widely feared - black flag.
And locals emerge from their homes to receive food and water supplies --- much of it provided by the west.
More than 15,000 people had been trapped in their homes in Amerli since the seige started.
But as the U.S. carried out air strikes on IS positions around the town, Iraqi soldiers were able to advance into the region.
Reclaiming Amerli is a major strategic victory for the group, who are hoping to slow a Sunni militants blitz through the country.
