ISIS partially destroys 2,000-year-old Temple Of Bel, residents report

Islamic State has partially destroyed the Temple of Bel in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, according to reports. The extent of damage to the Roman-era structure is not yet known, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. However, a Palmyra resident has told the Associated Press that the temple has been left severely damaged by the attack, claiming “the bricks and the columns are on the ground”. Nasser al Thaer added that only the temple’s wall remained, and described a huge blast heard in the area on Sunday afternoon.

An explosion the deaf would hear.

Nasser al Thaer, eyewitness

The Bel Temple was well preserved and had been considered one of the greatest sites of the ancient world, much to the pride of Syrians. Earlier this week, photos circulated by IS supporters appeared to show the extremist group blowing up the Baal Shamin temple, also in the desert city. UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organisation, has described the destruction of these ancient structures as a “war crime”. Earlier in August, it emerged that Khaled Assad, an 82-year-old antiquities scholar who had looked after Palmyra’s ruins for more than four decades, has been beheaded by IS.

World Palmyra