Syria’s Ancient City of Palmyra Yet Untouched by ISIL Militants – UNESCO

Islamic State has not yet brought any destruction to Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra that fell into the militants' hands, Director of UNESCO’s Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage Mounir Bouchenaki said on Tuesday.

MANAMA (Sputnik) – ISIL jihadist group took full control of Palmyra, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after two weeks of heavy fighting last Wednesday.

“We have not received information that inner structures in Palmyra had been destroyed,” Bouchenaki told RIA Novosti.

Bouchenaki added, however, that the city’s major religious site, the Temple of Bel, was damaged during the intense fighting.

Palmyra, an ancient city in south-central Syria, is one of the most significant sites in the Middle East.

Before leaving the city, the Syrian army removed hundreds of ancient statues and evacuated its people.