Islamic State destroy historic Baal Shamin temple in Palmyra
Islamic State militants have destroyed a historic temple in the city Palmyra, an antiquities expert has told ITV News.
The Baal Shamin temple was one of the most complete buildings in the Unesco world heritage city and was bulit around 2,000 years ago.
Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said militants from the group had placed explosives in the temple and blew it up on Sunday.
"Our darkest predictions are unfortunately taking place," Professor Abdulkarim said.
Speaking to ITV News from Damascus, Mr Abdulkarim said that the militants didn't respect any civilisation.
Once known as the "Pearl of the Desert", Palmyra fell to militants in May who have since destroyed Islamic and Christian shrines in the city, claiming that they were being used for pagan practices by tourists and worshipers.
It is understood that IS carry out acts of cultural vandalism like this when they suffer setbacks in their military campaign as a way of reasserting their 'dominance' in the region.
Khaled Asaad, a respected 82-year-old archaeologist and head of antiquities was beheaded by IS for refusing to reveal the location of treasures hidden before the occupation.
Mr Asaad had been executed and and his body hung on a column in the main square of the historic site - one of the ruins he spent 50 years helping to restore.
Parts of Palmyra - recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as of "outstanding universal value" - date back to around 2,000 years BC.