Syria’s Antiquities Chief: ’ISIL’ Blows Up Palmyra’s Ancient Tower Tombs

Local Editor

"ISIL" had blown up three ancient tower tombs in the city of Palmyra, Syria's antiquities chief said Friday, continuing the destruction of a World Heritage site that UNESCO had condemned as a war crime.

The militants, who had already destroyed two Roman-era temples in the city, blew up the tombs from between the years 44 and 103 AD, Maamoun Abdulkarim stated.

He cited sources in Palmyra who confirmed the destruction of the tombs including that of Elahbel, built in 103 AD, which was one of the best preserved and stood four stories high and had an underground floor.

"ISIL" had occupied Palmyra from Syrian government control in May and has carried out several mass killings in places it has taken over and destroyed monuments it considers sacrilegious, publishing photographs or videos of its actions.

It beheaded the 82-year-old guardian of Palmyra's ancient ruins last month.

UN cultural agency UNESCO said "ISIL's" actions were war crimes aimed at wiping out evidence of Syria's diverse cultural history.

Activists said the group was keeping tight control on communications inside the city, making tracking events difficult.

In the past two weeks the group blew part of the Temple of Bel and Baal Shamin temple as well as a row of columns, a UN analysis of satellite images confirmed.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team