Isis militants continue path of destruction in Hatra by 'demolishing 2,000 year-old ruins'
Extremist group bulldozed Nimrud on Friday
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Iraqi officials say Isis militants are continuing in their path of destruction and have begun attacking ancient ruins in Hatra, just a day after bulldozing the Assyrian archaeological site of Nimrud.
Saeed Mamuzini, a Kurdish official from Mosul, in Iraq, told the Associated Press militants started carrying away artefacts from Hatra as early as Thursday and began demolishing the site on Saturday.
"The city of Hatra is very big and many artefacts of that era were protected inside the site," he said. Isis, who use looted aretfacts as a major source of funding, are believed to have taken away gold and silver before destroying ruins.
Adel Shirshab also voiced concerns militants are removing artefacts from the UNESCO world heritage site, located 110 kilometres (68 miles) southwest of the city of Mosul, and that they were about to demolish the site.
Hatra was a large fortified city during the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab kingdom. The ancient city is said to have withstood invasions by the Romans in AD 116 and 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers.
An ancient pre-Christian temple in Hatra featured in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist was seized by Isis in June 2014.
Officials voiced fears then militants could destroy stone statues held within as idolatrous images.
On Friday, UNESCO condemned the bulldozing of Nimrud as a “war crime” and urged those in Iraq and elsewhere “to do everything possible to protect this heritage”. The site was founded over 3,300 years ago.
The extent of the devastation in Nimrud remains unclear. A spokesperson for A Demand for Action, a global organisation to support the protection of the Assyrians and other minorities, told The Independent sources on the ground were still working to determine what has survived.
Isis has been on a mission to destroy major pieces of Iraq’s cultural history ever since it captured territories there and in Syria.
Militants recently ransacked Mosul library, looting and destroying thousands of historic manuscripts and books.
Additional reporting by agencies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments