UNESCO condemns 'mad' destruction of Iraq's Nimrud

April 14, 2015 00:31

The UN's cultural agency issued a fresh condemnation today of jihadists' destruction of Iraq's Nimrud, once the jewel of Assyria and home to a treasure considered one of the 20th century's main archaeological finds.

"I condemn this mad, destructive act that accentuates the horror of the situation," UNESCO head Irina Bokova said in a statement.

The Islamic State group on Saturday circulated an undated video showing militants equipped with sledgehammers and power tools breaking artefacts before rigging the site with large barrels of powder.

The subsequent footage shows a massive explosion and its aftermath, suggesting the ruins of Nimrud -- which lie on the Tigris about 30 kilometres (18 miles) southeast of IS-held Mosul -- were largely levelled.

Nimrud, founded in the 13th century BC, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in a country often described as the cradle of civilisation.

"With their hammers and explosives they are also obliterating the site itself, clearly determined to wipe out all traces of the history of Iraq's people," Bokova said.

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