Another ancient Syrian monument bites the dust – ISIS destroys Temple of Bel in Palmyra

#ISIS #Palmyra #Syria #templeofbel ISIS continues in its rampage and has now severely damaged yet another ancient monument namely the Temple of Bel in the Syrian city of Palmyra. This monument is believed to be nearly 2,000-years old. This has been revealed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that monitors the conflict, citing contacts on the ground.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dared 31 August 2015.

ISIS had dynamited the temple of Baal Shamin last week and there were apprehensions that the Temple of Bel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, would be their next target.
Baal Shamin was dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilizing rains and the UN has labelled its destruction as a war crime. The ISIS have also destroyed the treasured Lion of al-Lat – the 15-tonne, 3.5m-high piece made out of limestone early in the 1st Century AD.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Effects of Syrian war – Zabadani, once a famous resort, now in ruins

Zabadani situated in the hills between Damascus and the Lebanese border, was once one of Syria's best-known resorts and was particularly popular with Gulf holiday-makers. The cool summer air and stone houses have now been reduced to ruins. Same for the nearby Christian village of Bloudan which was Syria's best-known skiing center – easily accessible from the capital which was just 30 miles away.
However, these beautiful spots are now in ruins and have turned into ghost towns as reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 July 2015.

Besieged, bombarded by regime jets and turned into a defensive nest by the Islamist rebels, Zabadani has become the latest victim of Syria's endless war and it can never regain its former glory and bring the tourists back.
As per information of the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights nearly 600 barrel bombs had landed on the town since the start of the army's operation at the beginning of the month.
Locals lament that Zabadani was the number one place in Syria for Gulf tourists. They would arrive in summer and rent accommodation. There would be no vacancy. The restaurants and cafés did wonderful business. All that is now history.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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ISIS on a destruction spree of ancient monuments, shoots children dead near Palmyra

#ISIS #Palmyra #Syria #UNESCO #WorldHeritage The ISIS is determined to destroy all ancient monuments in Iraq, Syria and other locations, monuments that had been standing there for centuries as symbols of a glorious past and not content with killing ordinary citizens, the militant outfit is filming videos of what they are destroying and how. They have already been filmed destroying artefacts in the Iraqi cities of Nimrud and Hatra.
In the latest spate of violence, Islamic State fighters have shot dead 23 civilians near the city of Palmyra – nine of them were children. This has been reported by Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The dead were family members of government employees.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 15 May 2015.

The jihadi fighters have their eyes focused on Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site. The city, nicknamed "the pearl of the desert", is home to millennia-old tombs, colonnades and Roman temples. In the opinion of Irina Bokova, the head of UNESCO, it would be a shame to destroy these treasures. She has called on Syrian troops and extremists to spare Palmyra because it "represents an irreplaceable treasure for the Syrian people, and the world".
In the latest offensive, more than 138 combatants - 73 soldiers and 65 jihadists - have been killed. Before that, there were reports of at least 26 civilians being killed by IS. Ten of them were beheaded for collaborating with the Syrian regime.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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ISIS seizes Yarmouk refugee camp, home to over 18000 – Assad threatened

#ISIS #jihadists #yarmoukcamp #syria #damascus #alnusra The Islamic State militants are knocking at the doors of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and are believed to have infiltrated a refugee camp that is home to nearly 18000 refugees. The camp is the Yarmouk camp and this has happened even as Jordan has closed its only functioning border crossing with the country.
This was due to heavy clashes on the Syrian side between rebels and government forces, as has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 2 April 2015.

The ISIS militants already control large swaths of territory in northern Syria and have apparently made their entry from the Hajar Aswad neighborhood in southern Damascus. It was a coordinated attack with their rivals in the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has revealed that the ISIS took control of large parts of the Yarmouk camp following clashes with a Palestinian group. Observers feel that once ISIS gains full control of Yarmouk, the jihadis can make use of the camp as a base from which to threaten not only the heart of the capital but also Assad himself.

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