Syrian Iconic Arch of Triumph destroyed by militants

The iconic Arch of Triumph in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, that was nearly 2,000 years old was destroyed by Islamic State (ISIS) militants late Sunday, the country’s head of antiquities said Monday.

According to Syria’s antiquities chief, sources in Palmyra have confirmed the terrorists to have destroyed the nearly 2,000-year-old Arch of Triumph.

The arch has been described as one of the most exquisite landmarks in the UNESCO World Heritage list became the latest victim in the ISIS group campaign to destroy historic sites it controls across in Iraq and Syria.

The Arch of Triumph was one of the most recognizable sites in Palmyra the central city that is affectionately known by Syrians as the “Bride of the Desert” which ISIS seized in May.

Syrian antiquities director Maamun Abdulkarim cautioned of the impending catastrophe in the UNESCO listed world heritage site, which the jihadists have been dismantling since capturing the ruins in May.

“This is an organized obliteration of the city. They want to destroy it completely,”  Abdulkarim said.

The destruction of the Arch comes after the group destroyed two ancient Temples at central Syrian site in recent months.

In August, they leveled two Temples of immense cultural significance, the Temple of Bel and theTemple of Baalshami prompting outrage and condemnation from around the world.

It blew up temples in Rumanian UNESCO World Heritage site which it has controlled since capturing Palmyra from Syrian Goverment forces early this year while they have mined other monuments and buildings.

UNESCO, the U.N. heritage agency, called the destruction an “intolerable crime against civilization.”

ISIS deems the cultures and monuments of the pre-Islamic societies of the region to be sacrilegious.

In addition to the demolition in Palmyra, it has blown up Christian and Shia shrines and houses of worship in both countries. It also burned and destroyed centuries-old Assyrian and Akkadian artifacts in Nineveh, releasing high-production-value imagery and videography of its atrocities.