Mt. Sinjar -- Kurdistan location where Yazidis were fleeing Islamic State (or ISIL) despite winter and cold

from www.bbc.org/news/ :
Who are the Yazidis?

Yazidis revere both the Bible and the Qu'ran - but much of their tradition is oral;

• Religious sect found in northern Iraq, Syria and the Caucasus;
• Religion incorporates elements of many faiths, including Zoroastrianism;
• Principal divine figure, Malak Taus (Peacock Angel), is the supreme angel of the seven angels who ruled the universe after it was created by God;
• Many Muslims and other groups incorrectly view Yazidis as devil worshippers;
• There are estimated to be around 500,000 Yazidis worldwide, most living in Iraq's Nineveh plains;
• In August 2007 jihadists attacked Yazidi villages in Nineveh, killing between 400 and 700 people.