Isis has destroyed antiquities and artefacts in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrod in Iraq.
The terrorist group began demolishing the site, which was founded in the 13th century BC, on Thursday, an act which has outraged archaeologists in the country, they have called it an eradication of the country’s history.
The head of the UN’s cultural agency condemned the “systematic” destruction in Iraq as a “war crime”.
IS which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, says shrines and statues are “false idols” that have to be smashed.
Nimrod lies on the Tigris river, about 30km (18 miles) south-east of Mosul, which IS controls.
IS has controlled Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and nearby areas since June 2014 – a region with nearly 1,800 of the country’s 12,000 registered archaeological sites.
Iraqi forces and Shia militia, have united to try to drive IS militants from the northern city of Tikrit, with the support of Iran.
The militants are also being targeted by a US-led coalition mounting air strikes.
The latest strikes came on Thursday, with the coalition targeting IS positions around Mosul and other Iraqi cities, as well as several locations across the border in Syria.
