Islamic State extremists vandalise ancient artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul
27 Feb 2015 7:06 PM IST27 Feb 2015 7:06 PM IST
Islamic State extremists vandalise ancient artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul
Large segments of the priceless winged-bull Assyrian protective deity are hurled to the ground as militants smash it to pieces (Photo: AP)- "Our prophet ordered us to remove all these statues as his followers did when they conquered nations," the man in the video adds. The video bore the logo of the IS group's media arm and was posted on a Twitter account used by the group. (Photo:
- The region under IS control in Iraq has nearly 1,800 of Iraq's 12,000 registered archaeological sites and the militants appear to be out to cleanse it of any non-Islamic ideas, including library books, archaeological relics, and even Islamic sites
- In their push, the extremists captured large swaths of land in both Iraq and neighboring Syria, declared a self-styled caliphate on territories that are under their control, killing members of religious minorities, driving others from their homes,
- The day after Baghdad fell to U.S. troops in April 2003, looters burst into the Iraqi National Museum in the Iraqi capital, making off with scores of priceless artifacts and leaving the floor littered with shattered pottery. The U.S. was widely
- Extremists used sledgehammers and power drills to smash ancient artifacts at a museum in the northern city of Mosul (Photo: AP)
- A man shown in the video said the items were being destroyed because they promoted idolatry (Photo: AP)
- Militant uses a power tool to destroy a winged-bull Assyrian protective deity at the Ninevah Museum in Mosul, Iraq. The statue dates back to the 9th century B.C. (Photo: AP)
Large segments of the priceless winged-bull Assyrian protective deity are hurled to the ground as militants smash it to pieces (Photo: AP)
Islamic State extremists vandalise ancient artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul
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