Terrorists Destroy Ancient Roman Arches in Syrian City Palmyra — ISIS News

Islamic State group jihadists have blown up the Arch of Triumph in Syria’s Palmyra, the country’s antiquities chief said Monday, stepping up their campaign of destruction at the world heritage site. “Shocked” and “shameful”, he told ABC News, noting that unlike the two temples that were destroyed earlier this year, the arch has no religious significance.

The Arch of Triumph, a jewel in the exquisite collection of ruins in the oasis city, was situated at the entrance to the city’s ancient Roman-Greco ruins. The extremists aim to pursue and continue their campaign of destroying heritage sites all over Syria and Iraq.

As well as the temples, the terrorist group has also demolished Roman-era funerary towers that were “among the most representative and evocative monuments” at the site, UNESCO said last month.

Activists on a Facebook page from the city were despondent at the world reaction to Palmyra’s destruction, warning that Assad should not be viewed as the city’s savior. “The worldwide community must find a solution to liberate it”.

Experts say the militants have used the destruction to raise their profile to attract new recruits, and are also funding their terror regime by selling artifacts on the black market.

The Islamic State group overran Palmyra in May, forcing government troops out. Syria’s antiquities director, Professor Maamoun Abdulkarim, called the act “shameful”.

‘We are living through a catastrophe.

The building involved this time was a set of triumphal arches, erected in the second century.

Before the capture of the city, Syrian officials said they had moved hundreds of ancient statues to safe locations.

ISIL’s self-declared “caliphate”, argues such ancient relics promote idolatry and says they are destroying them as part of their purge of paganism.

Syria’s devastating civil conflict, now in its fifth year, has left a few 250,000 people dead and millions displaced, according to United Nations figures.