New IS video shows militants smashing ancient Iraq artifacts
The Islamic State group has released a video purportedly showing militants using sledgehammers to smash ancient artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul.
The five-minute video shows a group of bearded men in a museum using hammers and drills to destroy several large statues, including one depicting a winged-bull Assyrian protective deity that dates back to the 9th century BC. The extremist group has destroyed a number of shrines -- including Muslim holy sites -- in order to eliminate what it views as heresy. The militants are also believed to have sold ancient artifacts on the black market in order to finance their bloody campaign across the region.
