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Militants destroy ancient artefacts in Iraqi museum

The self-proclaimed Islamic State group has released a video in which militants in Iraq are seen destroying ancient artefacts.

A scene from the video
A scene from the video

The self-proclaimed Islamic State group has released a video in which militants in Iraq are seen destroying ancient artefacts, which it says are prohibited by the Muslim faith.

The five-minute video shows militants at the museum in Mosul knocking statues off their stands and smashing them to pieces with sledgehammers.

In another scene, a jackhammer is used to deface a large Assyrian winged bull at an archaeological site in the city, which the Sunni extremist group captured last summer.

Deakin University's Dr Ben Isakhan told Peggy Giakoumelos ISIS has been systematically looting significant sites on a large scale for some time.

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