A senior Iraqi clergyman has distanced himself and the Church from groups of militias carrying Christian symbols.

Chaldean Patriarch Raphael Louis I was responding to a series of pictures that have been posted online in recent days.

They appear to show groups of armed men with crosses, statues of Jesus and other symbols. It's thought they come from Fallujah – the city which is the subject of an intense battle between ISIS forces and a collection of groups, including the Iraqi Army, which is attempting to win back control.

The Patriarch said: "These are individuals who act in a bad way: displaying Christian symbols is evil, and foments clashes related to religion, spirals of revenge and more suffering."

He was responding after reports surfaced that these militia groups had been involved in violent assaults on civilians fleeing from territory controlled by ISIS.

It isn't the first time the Patriarch has spoken out against people purporting to be Christians engaging in acts of violence against others in conflict-ridden Iraq.

Paramilitary groups from various different ethnic and religious factions exist. So far, Christians have mainly been victims of the violence in Iraq and Syria, and while they seek increased protection, it seems their leaders are keen to avoid them becoming perpetrators too.