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Iraqi forces push on to Tikrit as ISIS destroys ancient site

Iraqi forces pressed their offensive against the Islamic State group Friday, expecting to reach the outskirts of the militant-held city of Tikrit, a day after the extremists reportedly "bulldozed" a famed archaeological site in the area.

 

In Paris, the head of the UN's cultural agency said the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage - such as the latest rampage at Iraq's archaeological site of Nimrud, which has been compared to King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt - amounts to a "war crime."

 

The battle to wrest Tikrit - Saddam Hussein's hometown - from the Islamic State is a major test for the Iraqi forces and allied Shiite militias fighting on their side.

 


פרסום ראשון: 03.06.15, 15:02