Islamic State Takes Sledgehammer to 'Irreplaceable' Ancient Palmyra Ruins

ISIS militants use heavy[-]duty sledgehammers to destroy
the historic statues in front of a large crowd, Palmyra

THE TELEGRAPH: Isil militants have released images showing a civilian being forced to destroy priceless artefacts from the Roman city of Palmyra as the head of Unesco warned of "cultural cleansing" by the extremist group'

Militants from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) are feared to have begun destruction of Syria’s Roman city of Palmyra as the head of Unesco warned of "cultural cleansing" by the extremist group.

Maamoun Abdelkarim, Syrian antiquities minister, said on Thursday the militants had destroyed a 15 tonne statue of a lion, known as the Lion of Al-Lat.

"It's the most serious crime they have committed against Palmyra's heritage," Mr Abdelkarim told AFP news agency. Isil seized Palmyra's ruins from Syrian government control in May, prompting widespread fears that the group could destroy the a Unesco World Heritage site as an act of propaganda.

The jihadists have destroyed cultural treasures across the Middle East and North Africa, often describing the sites as idolatrous. » | Louisa Loveluck, Cairo | Thursday, July 2, 2015

Video Shows IS Group Destroying Iraq's Hatra

Islamic State Extremists Bulldoze Ancient Nimrud Site Near Mosul

Nimrud is a 13th century BC Assyrian archaeological site close
to Mosul, which is controlled by ISIS militants.

THE GUARDIAN: Statement from Iraq’s ministry of tourism and antiquities says militants ‘defy will of world and feelings of humanity’ but does not state extent of damage

Islamic State (Isis) militants bulldozed the ancient Nimrud archaeological site near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday using heavy military vehicles, the government said.

A statement from Iraq’s ministry of tourism and antiquities did not elaborate on the extent of the damage, saying only that the group continued to “defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity” with this latest act.

Nimrud is a 13th century BC Assyrian archaeological site located on the Tigris River just south of Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, which was captured by Isis in June. The extremists, who control a third of Iraq and Syria, have attacked other archaeological and religious sites, claiming that they promote apostasy. » | Associated Press in Baghdad | Thursday, March 05, 2015