Islamic State militants destroy ruins of ancient Iraqi city

Islamic State militants have begun to raze ancient ruins at the site of the Assyrian city of Nimrud.

Iraq's Ministry of Tourism say the militants used heavy machinery to destroy the archaeological site, which is one of the country's most celebrated.

File footage of Nimrud from 2001:

Nimrud was founded in the 13th century BC and lies around 30km (18 miles) south-east of Mosul, which has been the target of US-led coalition airstrikes on the militant group.

Islamic State militants have shown little regard for historic sites, having destroyed a priceless collection of statues and sculptures in northern Iraq recently.

Last month, they uploaded a video showing what appeared to be the destruction of artifacts an antiquities museum in Mosul, the northern city which was overrun by the group last June.

In 2001, archaeologists discovered an ancient temple and two winged lions in Nimrud, which may be among the ruins destroyed by Islamic State militants.

Cuneiform writing indicated that the lions dated back to the reign of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II, who ruled the Assyrian Empire during the 9th century BC.

The writing also indicated that the building was a temple devoted to Ishtar, the ancient Iraqi goddess of love and war. Nimrud was one of the four great cities of Assyria.

UNESCO is working with Iraqi authorities and governments of neighbouring countries to crack down on the smuggling of artifacts from areas under Islamic State control, and has alerted auction houses to be on the lookout for stolen items.