Islamic State militants blow up ancient Arch of Triumph in Palmyra
Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have blown up the Arch of Triumph, a major monument in the 2,000-year-old Roman city of Palmyra, Syria's antiquities chief said on Sunday, after they destroyed two ancient temples at the central Syrian site in recent months.
Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters that sources in Palmyra had confirmed that the Arch of Triumph, a jewel in the exquisite collection of ruins in the oasis city, had been blown up.
Islamic State militants have blown up temples at the Roman-era UNESCO World Heritage site, which it has controlled since capturing Palmyra from Syrian government forces in May and mined other monuments and historic buildings. The group considers the buildings sacrilegious.
"It's as though there is a curse that has befallen this city and I expect only news that will shock us. If the city remains in their hands the city is doomed," Abdulkarim told Reuters.
Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/islamic-state-militants-blow-ancient-arch-triumph-palmyra-225035318.html
Lucky Luciano
(11,260 posts)...the Islamic Psychopaths of Iraq and Syria.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)ancianita
(36,137 posts)but it's within their land base of influence, so what else did anyone expect.
Blowing up symbols of Western conquering societies is what they do. It's fully within their moral framework.
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)How much history has already been lost to religious fanatics, from the burning of the library of Alexandria and the destruction of the MesoAmerican codices by so much history has been lost. Religious fanaticism will be the end of all of us