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Isis in Palmyra: Extremist fighters 'destroy temple' in ancient city Isis in Palmyra: Extremist fighters 'destroy temple' in ancient city
(about 3 hours later)
 Islamic State militants have destroyed a temple at Syria's ancient ruins of Palmyra, activists said Sunday, realizing the worst fears archaeologists had for the 2,000-year-old Roman-era city after the extremists seized it and beheaded a local scholar. Isis militants have destroyed an ancient temple at the ruins of Palmyra in Syria, activists said last night.
Palmyra, one of the Middle East's most spectacular archaeological sites and a UNESCO World Heritage site, sits near the modern Syrian city of the same name. Activists said the militants used explosives to blow up the Baalshamin Temple on its grounds, the blast so powerful it also damaged some of the Roman columns around it. Activists claimed the Baalshamin Temple was blown up yesterday by militants using explosives.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday night that the temple was blown up a month ago. Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, said the temple was blown up Sunday. Both said the extremists used a large amount of explosives to destroy it. The blast was so powerful it also damaged some of the columns around it.
Both relied on information for those still in Palmyra and the discrepancy in their accounts could not be immediately reconciled, though such contradictory information is common in Syria's long civil war. Palmyra is a 2,000-year-old Roman city, one of the Middle East’s most significant archaeological areas and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Sunni extremists, who have imposed a violent interpretation of Islamic law across their self-declared “caliphate” in territory they control in Syria and Iraq, claim ancient relics promote idolatry and say they are destroying them as part of their purge of paganism. However, they are also believed to sell off looted antiquities, bringing in significant sums of cash. Turkish-based activist Osama al-Khatib, originally from Palmyra, claimed the temple was destroyed yesterday.
Al-Khatib said the Baalshamin Temple is about 500 meters (550 yards) from the Palmyra's famous amphitheater where the group killed more than 20 Syrian soldiers after they captured the historic town in May. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights based in Britain said the temple, dating from the first century and dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilising rains, was blown up a month ago.
The temple dates to the first century and is dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilizing rains. Both sources agreed a large amount of explosives had been used to raze it to the ground.
The head of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, said Friday that Islamic State extremists in Syria and Iraq are engaged in the “most brutal, systematic” destruction of ancient sites since World War II — a stark warning that came hours after militants demolished the St. Elian Monastery, which housed a fifth-century tomb and served as a major pilgrimage site. The monastery was in the town of Qaryatain in central Syria. It is not yet known if the nearby Temple of Bel was also damaged in the blast.
On Wednesday, relatives and witnesses said Khaled al-Asaad, an 81-year-old antiquities scholar who devoted his life to understanding Palmyra, was beheaded by Islamic State militants, his bloodied body hung on a pole. He even had named his daughter after Zenobia, the queen that ruled from the city 1,700 years ago. Head of UNESCO Irina Bokova warned on Friday that Islamic state extremists in Syria and Iraq were involved in “the most brutal, systematic” destruction of ancient sites since World War II.
AP The Islamic extremists claim ancient relics promote idolatry and claim their destruction is part of a purge of paganism.
But it is believed they are also selling off looted antiquities to fund their campaign.
There was no confirmation last night on social media from Isis supporters the temple had been destroyed.
Syria's head of antiquities Maamoun Abdul Karim also claimed the temple was destroyed by Isis on Sunday.
He said: "We have said repeatedly the next phase would be one of terrorising people and when they have time they will begin destroying temples.
"I am seeing Palmyra being destroyed in front of my eyes."
The Baalshamin Temple is just 500 metres from Palmyra’s famous amphitheatre, where militants killed 20 Syrian soldiers after the town was captured in May, according to al-Khatib.
News of the temple’s destructions comes just days after 81-year-old antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad was reported to have been beheaded by Isis.
He had devoted his life to understanding Palmyra and even named his daughter Zenobia, after the queen who ruled the city 1,700 years ago.