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News > World

UN: Islamic State Group's Ruin of Iraq's Nimrud a 'War Crime'

  • A statue of a lamassu, an Assyrian protective deity, at the North West Palace of Ashurnasirpal in Nimrud, Iraq.

    A statue of a lamassu, an Assyrian protective deity, at the North West Palace of Ashurnasirpal in Nimrud, Iraq. | Photo: UNESCO

Published 14 April 2015
Opinion

UNESCO said the actions constitute a deliberate damage of culture and has pledged to do everything possible to fight it.

The Iraqi archaeological site of Nimrud is being destroyed by Islamic State militants who are using bulldozers and explosives, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported Tuesday.

The agency mandated with protecting heritage sites said the actions taken by the extremist organization on the historic site located 30 kilometers south of the crisis-hit city of Mosul, are deliberate damage of culture and thus a "war crime." The organization has pledged to do everything possible to fight it.

"I condemn this mad, destructive act that accentuates the horror of the situation. It confirms that the terrorists are not only destroying representations of figures and bas-reliefs," said the Director-General of the UNESCO Irina Bokova, in a statement to the press.

Bokova's statements followed the release of a video showing alleged Islamic State's militants vandalizing the ancient reliefs at the site, which houses archaeological artifacts dating back to the 13th century BC.

In early 2015, the extremists announced their intention to destroy many of the ancient artifacts. The militants have also destroyed mosques, as well as thousands of books and manuscripts in Mosul.

The Islamic State group have been committing horrendous crimes across the region, including the mass execution of civilians as well as Syrian and Iraqi army troops and police officers.

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