IS blows up three ancient funeral towers in Syria

Islamic State has blown up three funeral towers in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria’s antiquities chief said. UNESCO has condemned this destruction of a World Heritage Site as a war crime.

The militants, who previously attacked two Roman-era temples in the city, blew up the tombs, which date from between 44 and 103 AD, Maamoun Abdulkarim said.

Sources in Palmyra confirmed the destruction of the tombs, including that of Elahbel, built in 103 AD. The four-storey building was one of the best-preserved of Palmyra’s funeral towers, sandstone constructions built to hold the remains of the city’s richest families.