Islamic State has posted a video showing how jihadists recently destroyed ancient statues in the northern Iraqi city of Hatra, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
The destruction was confirmed by an official of the Tourism Ministry in the northern province of Nineveh.
The jihadist who appears in the video explains the destruction by saying that statues are "categorically prohibited" by Islam, which rejects any kind of "shared God", a reference to ancient polytheistic religions.
The extremist particularly refers to the time in the life of Muhammad when the prophet reached the city of Mecca and laid waste to the idols of the different local deities.
The jihadist laments that "some organisations" (UNESCO) say that destroying statues is a war crime", but said the extremists "will continue doing it".
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
He also said that "only belief in Allah will be allowed" and they will destroy every place in the world that practices some other religion.
The video shows how the radicals smashed the statues with hammers and assault rifles, knocked them to the ground and broke them to pieces.
Hatra, a great city more than 2,000 years ago, stands south of Mosul and is known for its temples of Greco-Roman architecture with Asian decorations.
