In its latest video, the Islamic State (ISIS) has threatened to destroy the Sphinx and the Egyptian pyramids. ISIS has released a new video showing fighters destroying a 2,500-year-old temple in Iraq.
The video shows a fighter vowing to demolish the temple of Nabu in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud – currently under IS control- before a massive explosion reduces a building to debris. In the final scene showed the Great Pyramid of Giza near Egypt’s capital, Cairo, and a pledge to blow up the ancient sites built by the infidels as they said.
ISIS believes that it is their religious duty to destroy the Egyptian pyramids and Sphinx. ISIS is currently present in Egypt through Sinai Province group in Sinai Peninsula. The ISIS affiliate group has recently launched massive attacks against the Egyptian military and police forces. Moreover, the group claimed responsibility for downing the Russian A321 airliner, above the Sinai desert in October 2015, killing all 224 people on board.
The destruction of ancient sites has been condemned as war crimes by the United Nations (UN) and world leaders have expressed their disgust.
In a video entitled ‘The Axe of Ibrahim, the Intimate Friend of Allah’ ISIS shows information signs on the Nabu temple wall, before the blast, shown from of different angles. It hasn’t been confirmed that the temple had been destroyed until the UN declared on Wednesday that satellites images confirm the destruction of Nabu temple. The video has screened the temple of Nabu razed to the ground Islamic State propaganda image.
ISIS has carried out a series destruction of historic monuments in Iraq and Syria. The Adad and Mashki Gates which formed a large portion of Nineveh’s fortification wall have been destroyed with bulldozers. In May, this destruction was released as a photo report on ISIS.
In May 2015, ISIS took control of the Syrian city of Palmyra. Since then, they started destroying ancient monuments and using the amphitheatre as a backdrop to their propaganda videos. Earlier this year, they were ousted from the site by the Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes after three weeks of fighting.
In 2015, the group published videos showing the blowing up ruins of the ancient city of Nimrud, northern Iraq. The group has also blown the ancient Assyrian statues and carvings in Mosul museum and has reportedly bulldozed the ruins of Hatra, south-west of Mosul.
