IS blows up tower tombs at Syria's Palmyra: antiquities chief

The ancient Syrian city of Palmyra was seized by Islamic State group militants on May 21, 2015

DAMASCUS - Jihadists of the Islamic State group have blown up three of the famed tower tombs of Syria's ancient desert city of Palmyra, antiquities department chief Maamoun Abdelkarim told AFP Friday.

"They blew up three tower tombs, the best preserved and most beautiful," he said.

The new destruction at the world-renowned site, captured by the jihadists in May, follows their demolition of the ancient shrine of Baal Shamin and the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel.