'Whole World Bearing Responsibility' for Daesh Atrocities in Palmyra

The international community bears responsibility for what Daesh has done to the city of Palmyra, Syria's Minister of Culture Muhammed Ahmed told Sputnik, adding that those who sponsor terrorist groups are as guilty as the militants themselves.

"Palmyra's treasures belong not only to Syria, but also to the whole world. This is why the whole world bears responsibility for atrocities committed there," he said.  

Muhammed Ahmed specifically mentioned the Gulf monarchies, saying that they have provided weapons and financed radical groups in Syria.

Daesh first captured Palmyra in May 2015. In the ten months that followed the brutal group, notorious for destroying pre-Islamic heritage, leveled the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baalshamin, the Arch of Triumph and several funerary towers. The militants also used the ruins to stage mass executions. Some of the priceless artifacts on display at a local museum were smashed or defaced.

The Syrian Arab Army, assisted by Russian warplanes and its allies took Palmyra under control on March 27, 2016, but lost it on December 11. Since then Daesh has destroyed a tetrapylon and part of a Roman theater in the ancient city. The group has also carried out mass executions.

"Many countries in the West and the East are not interested in independent Syria, a country protecting its treasures and great cultural heritage," he said. As a result, these nations sent mercenaries to "crush the spirit of the Syrian people and turn the country into a colony. This is the 21st century, but they are trying to destroy our connection to a great culture so that the Syrian people forget that they are unique. They have destroyed monuments, schools, mosques and churches."

The minister referred to the Syrian conflict as an "unjust war," saying that they have always believed that the country will recover once the bloodshed is over.

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