IS militants destroy sites in ancient Syrian town

War: Fears for Unesco heritage site

Islamic State militants have destroyed more areas of the ancient town of Palmyra in Syria.

Officials said damage had been caused to parts of the 2nd-century Roman theatre and the site’s landmark tetrapylon.

Palmyra is a Unesco world heritage site.

The town once linked Persia, India and China with the Roman Empire and the Mediterranean. It first fell to IS militants in May 2015, and they held it for 10 months.

During that time, they damaged a number of relics and emptied it of most of its residents.

Palmyra fell again to the group last month, nine months after a Russianbacked Syrian government offensive was hailed as a significant victory.

Yesterday, Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of Syria’s antiquities department, said reports of destruction trickled out of the IS-held town in late December.

Satellite images of the damage released on Thursday have confirmed the destruction.

Mr Abdulkarim said militants destroyed the facade of the 2nd-century theatre along with the tetrapylon, an ancient Roman monument.

The American Schools of Oriental Research said the damage was probably caused by IS.

IS have destroyed ancient sites across their selfstyled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Located 155 miles east of the capital Damascus, Palmyra was home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began.

Most residents did not return after it was retaken by the government.

Activists estimate the city is now home to a few hundred families, and many residents tried to flee as IS recaptured the city last month.

On Thursday, reports emerged that the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra.

DAMAGED: The desert city of Palmyra was retaken by IS militants in December