ISIS destroys ancient temple in Syria’s Palmyra

Istanbul, Turkey — The Islamic State on Monday razed another ancient site, which was a temple in Syria’s Homs province, Anadolu Agency has reported.

According to the agency, the group's militants remotely detonated explosives planted in the Temple of Bel, resulting in its total destruction.

The temple is located in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site which was built by the Romans in 32 AD.

According to UNESCO, the temple contains diverse architectural motifs reflecting the various cultures that thrived in the area at the time.

Earlier this month, ISIS razed the ancient temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra, an act UNESCO chief Irina Bokova described as a “war crime.”

Islamic State militants overran the famed archaeological site at Palmyra in mid-May, just hours after seizing the nearby Syrian town of Tadmur. Syrian officials raised concerns the extremists might destroy some of the priceless ruins as they have done in neighboring Iraq.

Syria’s civil war, now in its fifth year, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and millions of others being displaced.