Beirut: Islamic State (IS) group jihadists have destroyed a famous statue of a lion outside the museum in the Syrian city of Palmyra, the country's antiquities director said Thursday.
Syrian historian Maamoun Abdelkarim said the statue, known as the Lion of al-Lat, was an irreplaceable piece and was apparently destroyed last week.
The interior of Palmyra's ancient Roman amphitheatre is seen in these pictures released by ISIS supporters
"IS members on Saturday destroyed the Lion of al-Lat, which is a unique piece that is three metres (10 feet) tall and weight 15 tonnes," Mr Abdelkarim told AFP.
"It's the most serious crime they have committed against Palmyra's heritage," he said.
On guard: Heavily armed jihadis can be seen patrolling the steps of Palmyra's ancient amphitheatre
The limestone statue was discovered in 1977 by a Polish archeological mission at the temple of Al-Lat, a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, and dated back to the first century BC.
Mr Abdelkarim said the statue had been covered with a metal plate and sandbags to protect it from fighting "but we never imagined that IS would come to the town to destroy it."
Thick black smoke rising over Roman ruins that have stood for thousands of years in the central Syrian desert city. Following their capture of Palmyra last Thursday, ISIS militants are understood to have won the support of much of the local population by promising not to destroy the city's famous monuments
IS captured Palmyra, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, from government forces on May 21, prompting international concerns about the fate of the city's antiquities.
So far, the city's most famous sites have been left intact, though there are reports IS has mined them.
Most of the pieces in the city's museum were evacuated by antiquities staff before IS arrived, though the group has blown up several historic graves in recent weeks.
ISIS has raised its flag over ancient buildings in Palmyra while also slaughtering hundreds of locals - including women and children
