ISIL Fighters Bulldoze 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Ruins

Less than one week after they destroyed ancient museum artifacts, Islamic State fighters have started using a bulldozer to destroy a 3,000-year-old Assyrian city near Mosul in Iraq, according to archeologists.

Fighters smashed the winged-bull statues known as lamassu at the gates of the palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, about 20 kilometers southeast of Mosul, reported Al Jazeera. The statues were placed at the palace gates as protective spirits.

Last week, a video emerged purportedly showing Islamic State fighters using power drills and sledgehammers to try to destroy similar statues at the ancient site of Nineveh, within Mosul.

After the destroying the museum artifacts last week, fighters warned Mosul residents that they would move on to Nimrud next, Al Jazeera reported. Hatra, a World Heritage Site, is also believed to be in danger.