The Islamic State has reportedly destroyed Khorsabad, a palace built in the 700s B.C., making it the third historical site to be destroyed by the jihadist group.
"We have warned before and we warn again that those gangs and their sick Takfiri ideology will continue to destroy and steal artifacts as long as there is no strong deterrent," the
Iraq Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement quoted by CNN. (Takfiri means a Muslim who “accuses another Muslim of apostasy,” CNN said.)
ISIS previously destroyed Nimrud, the ancient Assyrian capital; museums and other historical sites throughout Mosul; and Hatra, an ancient fortress city.
The ministry renewed calls for help from the international community and continued to
condemn ISIS for “erasing the history of humanity,” The Guardian said.
“The hand of terrorism insists upon erasing the history of humanity by erasing the heritage of the land of the two rivers amid the shock and astonishment of the world,” The Guardian quoted a ministry statement.
Adel Shirshab, the Tourism and Antiquities minister, specifically
asked for air attacks from the coalition and told Reuters on Sunday, “Our airspace is not in our hands. It's in their hands. I am calling on the international community and coalition to activate its air strikes and target terrorism wherever it exists."
Shirshab told Reuters that damage is still being assessed in Hatra and Nimrud, but there was confirmation that sites were bulldozed.
On Friday, as word of the damage being done by the
Islamic State came out of Israel, UNESCO issued a statement: “We cannot remain silent. The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage constitutes a war crime. I call on all political and religious leaders in the region to stand up and remind everyone that there is absolutely no political or religious justification for the destruction of humanity’s cultural heritage.”
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