Pet pigeons return as IS militants take flight

For the first time in over two years, flocks of white and gray pigeons can be seen circling Mosul's rooftops.

Among the many rules imposed by the Islamic State group when it seized the northern Iraqi city was a ban on breeding or flying the birds, which many Iraqis keep as pets or raise for food.

The extremists feared young men practicing the hobby would neglect their religious studies or spy on female neighbors from the rooftops.