IS destroys 2,000-year-old Syria arch

Syrian activists said Islamic State (IS) militants have destroyed a nearly 2,000-year-old arch in the ancient city of Palmyra, the latest in the group’s campaign to destroy historic sites across the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria.

The Arch of Triumph was one of the most recognisable sites in Palmyra, the central city affectionately known by Syrians as the ‘Bride of the Desert’, which the IS group seized in May.

The monumental arch sat atop the famed colonnaded streets of the ancient city, which linked the Roman Empire to Persia and the East.