ERBIL - The Iraqi government is keen on providing a safe return for the displaced Yezidis to their places of origin, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi stated on Wednesday.

The Iraqi premier made the remarks in his congratulatory message to the Yezidis on their New Year occasion known as Charshama Sor or Red Wednesday.

Kadhimi wished the religious minority group "security, safety, and peace," stressing on his government's seriousness to facilitate the return of the displaced Yezidis to their hometowns, his office said in a statement.

He also ensured the Yezidis that the Iraqi government will spare no efforts to liberate the rest of those Yezidis who were abducted by the Islamic State (IS) back in 2014.