Syria's state news agency has reported that "Islamic State" militants have demolished a famous monument and damaged a theater in the ancient city of Palmyra. This is not the first time IS has destroyed ancient relics.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
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What's left of the ancient city of Palmyra?
Syria's state news agency has reported that "Islamic State" militants have demolished a famous monument and damaged a theater in the ancient city of Palmyra. This is not the first time IS has destroyed ancient relics.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
IS strikes again
What is now left of the ancient ruins at Palmyra - known as the "Pearl of the Desert" - is uncertain after a new strike by IS militants on Thursday. This photo shows the face of statue at a destroyed museum in March 2016. Syrian government forces had recaptured Palmyra that month from jihadists, who view the UNESCO-listed site's ancient ruins as idolatrous.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
Once grandiose, now rubble
This image of Palmyra's Tetrapylon was taken in 2014. If SANA agency reports are correct, this monument is no longer standing. Current images after Thursday's reported strike are still unavailable.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
Amphitheater also suffers a blow
This image shows the Roman amphitheater, which was originally built around 200 A.D., in April 2016. Reports now say the facade has been destroyed by IS extremists. In 2015, jihadists used the site - which once premiered plays - for mass executions. After the city was retaken from IS last year, the Russian government staged a classical music concert here to celebrate the success.
Image: Reuters/O. Sanadiki
Never-ending destruction
Palmyra's National Museum, shown here, also suffered heavy losses under IS rule. Its treasures were looted, some were damaged and others burned.
Image: picture-alliance/Sputnik/M. Voskresenskiy
Before and after
This picture, taken last March, shows the ruins of Palmyra's Temple of Baalshamin - just two columns left standing after IS destruction the year before. The smaller image, held by the photographer, shows the image he took in 2014 - with clearly more in the background behind the columns.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
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Syrian state news agency SANA reported Friday that the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) group had destroyed the facade of the second-century Roman amphitheater in Syria's historic city of Palmyra.
Militants also demolished the Tetrapylon, a cubic-shaped Roman monument, SANA said. The destruction was apparently carried out on Thursday, according to reports.
"This destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity," UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said in a statement.
IS extremists have controlled the ancient Palmyra site since December, after retaking the World Heritage site from Syrian government forces.
The al-Qaeda offshoot first seized Palmyra in May 2015 from Syrian troops, destroying parts of the ancient site. IS was then pushed out last March by government forces, backed by Russian air power. Many residents fled Palmyra after the government offensive last spring.
