Barbarians
fighting for the Islamic State in Syria have destroyed two mausoleums
in the ancient city of Palmyra, the country's antiquities director
confirmed today.
ISIS
captured the central Syrian city on May 21, sparking immediate fears
that they would take sledgehammers to its well-preserved Greco-Roman
ruins as they have done at other historic sites.
Those
fears are now beginning to be realised, with the extremists reportedly
using explosives to destroy ancient Islamic and pre-Islamic sites in the
city - including the tombs of descendants of the Prophet Mohammed -
which the terror group claim serve only to distract from the worship of
Allah.
Destruction: ISIS jihadis used
explosives to blow up the tomb of Mohammed bin Ali - a descendant of
Prophet Mohammed's cousin - in a mountainous region almost three miles
north of Palmyra
Blast: The ancient tomb was reduced to little more than a pile of rubble by the Islamic State's explosives
Sick: ISIS also destroyed the tomb of Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine - a religious figure from Palmyra - three days ago
Destroyed: Abu Bahaaeddine's tomb,
nestled in a leafy oasis about 500 yards from Palmyra's ancient ruins,
is said to be more than five centuries old
Syria's
antiquities director Maamoun Abdulkarim said ISIS blew up the tombs of
Mohammed bin Ali, a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed's cousin, and
Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine, a religious figure from Palmyra, three days ago.
Bin Ali's burial place is located in a mountainous region almost three miles north of Palmyra.
Abu
Bahaaeddine's tomb, nestled in a leafy oasis about 500 yards from
Palmyra's ancient ruins, is said to be more than five centuries old.
In total
ISIS has destroyed at least 50 mausoleums dating between 100-200 years
old in the regions under its control in north and east Syria, the
antiquities director said.
'They consider these Islamic mausoleums to be against their beliefs, and they ban all visits to these sites,' Abulkarim added.
Ten
days ago, fighters from the jihadist group also destroyed a number of
tombstones at a cemetery for Palmyra residents, Abulkarim revealed.
'All tombs with marble designs were destroyed. For them, graves should not be visible,' he said.
Battleground: An
ISIS flag flies on top of a Palmyra ruin. Troops loyal to Syrian
president Bashar al-Assad appear poised to try and re-take the city
Islamic State has reportedly laid mines and explosives around the ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria
A still from a tourist board style
video ISIS released last month after they took control of the site on
May 21. It is not known if they want to blow up the ruins or prevent
regime forces from advancing
The extremist group captured Palmyra, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, from pro-government forces on May 21.
At
the weekend, ISIS fighters mined the city's ancient site, renewing
fears that they would demolish the famed ruins as they have other
historic sites in Iraq.
American
and Arab airstrikes on ISIS targets have already damaged a number of
ancient buildings in Palmyra, although the majority of historic
structures and monuments remain untouched.
Syria's army has advanced in recent days west of the city, near key oil and gas fields.
ISIS has proclaimed a caliphate to rule over all
Muslims from territory it holds in both Syria and Iraq.
Its
militants have a history of carrying out mass killings in towns
and cities they capture and of destroying ancient monuments
which they consider evidence of paganism.
Smoke was shown rising from the site
in the video released last month. Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria's head of
antiquities, said: 'The city is a hostage in their hands, the situation
is dangerous'
The Palmyra theatre, one of the jewels of the site. ISIS has reportedly planted some explosives around it
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