Ancient monastery site ‘destroyed by so-called Islamic State’ included

The Mar Elian monastery in the town of Qaryatain near Homs, was captured by the terrorists from the Syrian Army two weeks ago.

The so-called “Islamic State” group has demolished an ancient monastery in central Syria, according to a priest and activists.

The monitoring group Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said the Catholic monastery was then destroyed “on the pretext that it was used for worshipping others than God”.

Isil took Al-Qaryatain and the monastery on August 5, kidnapping an estimated 230 people, including Christians.

The town lies at the crossroads between IS territory in the eastern countryside of Homs and points further west in the Qalamun area bordering Lebanon.

Of those captured, 48 had been released and 110 were transferred to Raqqa province, whose capital city Raqqa is the militants’ Syria stronghold, the monitor said on Thursday.

A Christian clergyman told AP in Damascus that IS militants also leveled a church inside the monastery that was a few hundred years older than the monastery.

Mar Elian’s abbot, Fr Jacques Mourad, was kidnapped, presumably by Isil, in May, before the attack on the town.

They have also targeted statues, which they consider idolatrous, and grave markers, including those of Muslims.