ISIS destroys Palmyra’s Temple of Bel

Islamic State militants have blown up one of the most important temples in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, accelerating their relentless campaign of destruction against the historical treasures that have fallen under their control. (SANA via AP, File)

A satellite image confirms that a temple in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra has been destroyed, the United Nations says.

There had been earlier reports of an explosion at the Temple of Bel in Palmyra, which is held by militants from Islamic State (ISIS). As UN satellite analysts Unosat say the image shows almost nothing remains.

“Unfortunately, the images we acquired do show that the main building of the temple has been destroyed,” Einar Bjorgo, Unosat’s manager, told the BBC early on Tuesday.

On Monday, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Syrian Department of Antiquities and Museums, had said the Temple of Bel suffered a large explosion, but that he believed most of the site had remained intact.

Witnesses had struggled, however, to get close to the site to confirm the extent of the damage.

Last week, it was confirmed that another site at Palmyra, the Baalshamin temple,had been blown up. Unosat released satellite images on Monday showing the extent of the damage to Baalshamin, proving that parts were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.

IS militants seized control of Palmyra in May, sparking fears for the World Heritage site. The world-famous Greco-Roman ruins are in the desert north-east of the Syrian capital, Damascus. ISIS had previously targeted historical sites in areas under their control in Iraq and Syria.