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Syrian archaeologist 'killed in Palmyra' by IS militants Syrian archaeologist 'killed in Palmyra' by IS militants
(about 2 hours later)
The archaeologist who looked after ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria is reported to have been killed by Islamic State (IS) militants. The archaeologist who looked after ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria for 40 years is reported to have been killed by Islamic State (IS) militants.
Khaled Asaad was taken hostage by the group after it seized the Unesco World Heritage site earlier this year. Khaled al-Asaad had been held for about a month by the group, which seized the Unesco World Heritage site in May.
The family of the 82-year-old scholar said he had been beheaded by IS fighters, according to Syria's director of antiquities, Maamoun Abdulkarim. The 81 year old's family informed Syria's director of antiquities Maamoun Abdul Karim that he had been beheaded.
Mr Asaad had spent more than 50 years working on Palmyra. He described Mr Asaad as "one of the most important pioneers in Syrian archaeology in the 20th Century".
He was head of antiquities at the ruins, one of the archaeological jewels of the Middle East. IS has demolished several ancient sites in Iraq, and there are fears that it will destroy Palmyra, one of the archaeological jewels of the Middle East.
'Curse on the city' 'Insisted on staying'
On Tuesday, Mr Abdulkarim said the scholar's family told him that Mr Asaad had been killed and his body hung from a column in Palmyra's main square. The Syrian state news agency, Sana, and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Mr Asaad had been beheaded on Tuesday at a square outside the museum in the modern town next to the ruins, also known as Tadmur.
His body was then hung from one of the Graeco-Roman columns, Mr Abdul Karim said.
IS militants had tried to extract information from him about where some of Palmyra's treasures had been hidden to save them from destruction, Mr Abdul Karim added.
Ms Asaad spent most of his life working to promote and protect Palmyra.
He was in charge of the site for four decades until 2003, when he retired. He then worked as an expert with the antiquities and museums department.
IS threat to 'Venice of the Sands'IS threat to 'Venice of the Sands'
Your memories of PalmyraYour memories of Palmyra
Saving history from the jihadistsSaving history from the jihadists
Syrian ruins that influenced the WestSyrian ruins that influenced the West
"Just imagine that such a scholar who gave such memorable services to the place and to history would be beheaded," Mr Abdulkarim said. "Just imagine that such a scholar who gave such memorable services to the place and to history would be beheaded," Mr Abdul Karim told Reuters news agency.
"The continued presence of these criminals in this city is a curse and bad omen on [Palmyra] and every column and every archaeological piece in it.""The continued presence of these criminals in this city is a curse and bad omen on [Palmyra] and every column and every archaeological piece in it."
IS fighters, who control large areas of Syria and Iraq, captured the site from Syrian government forces in May. Abdalrazzaq Moaz, co-director of cultural heritage initiatives at the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR), knew Mr Asaad. He told the BBC that his friend had devoted his entire life to the site and died trying to protect it.
The group has previously destroyed ancient ruins in Syria and Iraq but it is unclear how much damage they have caused at Palmyra. "It was hard for him to see his city under the control of these people, so he insisted on staying there," he said. "I'm sure that he was trying to convince them to not really do damage to the antiquities and the site. So for that he was killed."
UN cultural organisation Unesco says its destruction would be "an enormous loss to humanity". Mr Moaz, a former deputy minister in charge of cultural heritage, said an archaeologist who was working on the conservation of the citadel of Damascus was also killed last week.
Syrian troops have sought to drive IS militants out of the area in recent months and there has been fierce fighting in nearby towns - but the group remains in control of Palmyra. Since overrunning Palmyra, IS has destroyed a 2nd-Century statue of a lion and two nearby Islamic shrines, which it described as "manifestations of polytheism".
The group also released a video in July showing some 20 captured government soldiers being shot dead at Palmyra's theatre.
Syrian government forces have sought to drive IS out of the Palmyra area in recent months and there has been fierce fighting in nearby towns.