Newroz celebration in Akre village of Iraqi Kurdistan

A few kilometres away from Mosul’s battlefield, Kurds in Akre village celebrate the upcoming Newroz. A day before the Kurdish new year, locals set large bonfires and fire fireworks from rooftops and the surrounding mountains. Families and tourists gather in Akre every year to watch this spectacular event. Some kilometres away from Mosul, the sound of explosions comes from fireworks and not from airstrikes.