Christians face being wiped out from Middle East soon, warn Catholic groups

15,000 Christians have reportedly been forced from their homes north of Damascus

Iraq

: Catholic groups have warned that Christians may be wiped out from the face of the Middle East in the next 10 years because of the increasing numbers of Christians that are being killed by Muslim extremists or forced to flee persecution.

The alarming rate of decline means the religion could vanish in some areas in just five years unless the world steps in, said the international Catholic charity aid to the Church in Need according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The number of Christians in Iraq has fallen from one million to just 275,000 in the last 12 years alone. According to the study, the faith is also facing increasing pressure in Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Gulf nations, adding that the Church is being 'silenced and driven out of its ancient biblical heartland'.

In the last week, around 15,000 Christians have reportedly been forced from their homes north of Damascus.

The Islamic State group released a video in February purportedly showing the beheading of Egyptian Coptic Christians the jihadists say they captured in Libya.

The footage released online showed handcuffed hostages wearing orange jumpsuits being beheaded by their black-suited captors by a seashore in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

In ISIS’ online magazine Dabiq, the group said that 21 Egyptian hostages were being held, and pictures showed a similar background.

The video was titled \"A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross\", it had a scrolling caption in the first few seconds saying it is directed at \"People of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian Church\".