ISIS militants bulldoze ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq

Militants from the Islamic State have demolished the historic Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq, following previous assaults on cultural sites. Situated southeast of Mosul, Nimrud, which dates back to the 13th century BC, is an integral part of Iraq's cultural legacy, featuring its monumental lamassu statues and reliefs, although many artifacts have been relocated to museums in Mosul, Baghdad, Paris, and London. The head of UNESCO denounced this act of destruction as a war crime after consultations with the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court. Iraqi archaeologist Abdulamir Hamdani from Stony Brook University informed AFP that such vandalism was anticipated, with ISIS intent on erasing Iraqi heritage, predicting Hatra, a UNESCO world heritage site, as the next target. Recently, ISIS has focused on cultural and historical sites in Nineveh province, which is home to Assyrian Christians and other minorities.