Video: Islamic State group destroys ancient ruins of Nimrud

This video is horrible and heartbreaking to watch. Expect more of the same as these animals continue to spread mayhem and destruction throughout the cradle of civilization. Will someone please kill these bastards NOW?!!!

BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants hammered, bulldozed and ultimately blew up parts of the ancient Iraqi Assyrian city of Nimrud, destroying a site dating back to the 13th century B.C., an online militant video purportedly shows.

The destruction at Nimrud, located near the militant-held city of Mosul, came amid other attacks on antiquity carried out by the group now holding a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate. The attacks have horrified archaeologists and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who last month called the destruction at Nimrud "a war crime."

The seven-minute video, posted late Saturday, shows bearded militants using sledgehammers, jackhammers and saws to take down huge alabaster reliefs depicting Assyrian kings and deities. A bulldozer brings down walls, while militants fill barrels with explosives and later destroy three separate areas of the site in massive explosions.

"God has honored us in the Islamic State to remove all of these idols and statutes worshiped instead of Allah in the past days," one militant says in the video. Another militant vows that "whenever we seize a piece of land, we will remove signs of idolatry and spread monotheism."

The militants have been destroying ancient relics they say promote idolatry that violate their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, including the ancient Iraqi city of Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Authorities also believe they've sold others on the black market to fund their atrocities.

Some of the figures in the video released Saturday at Nimrud appeared to have rebar, ribbed bars of steels designed to reinforce concrete that are a technique of modern building. An Iraqi Antiquities Ministry official, speaking Sunday on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to talk to journalists, said all the items at Nimrud were authentic. In March, both Iraqi and United Nations officials warned the site had been looted and damaged.

The video conformed to other Associated Press reporting about the militants' attack.

The Assyrians first rose around 2,500 B.C. and at one point ruled over a realm stretching from the Mediterranean coast to what is present-day Iran. They left dozens of palaces and temples decorated with huge reliefs mainly depicting their kings' military campaigns and conquests, hunting lions and making sacrifices to the gods. Their main hallmark was the colossal winged man-headed lions or bulls, protective deities put at the entrances of palaces and temples weighing about 10-30 tons each.

Located on the eastern side of the Tigris River, Nimrud, or Kalhu, was founded in the 13th century B.C. During the reign of King Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud served as the second capital for Assyrian Empire. Other Assyrian capitals were Ashur, Dur Sharrukin and Ninevah.

Excavations at Nimrud were first started by the British traveler and archaeologist Austen Henry Layard from 1845 to 1851, followed by other foreign and local excavation missions.

The city is surrounded by a four-side wall measuring 8 kilometers (5 miles) long. Among the ruins are the grand palace of Ashurnasirpal II, as well as the temples of Nabu, the god of writing and the arts, and other temples.

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a reply to: IAMTAT

The only type of ground troops I support is to guard these historical sites from these ignorant barbarians.

originally posted by: JDmOKI
a reply to: IAMTAT

The only type of ground troops I support is to guard these historical sites from these ignorant barbarians.

How could ANY nation disagree with that? This is part of ALL of our history.

I wonder if the pyramids and sphinx are on their hit list, as well?

Just normal behaviour. Doesn't anyone remember what the white limestone that was stolen from the great pyramid was used to build?

a reply to: IAMTAT

Where could their minds be at to take on this sort of a project ? Destroying the physical places does nothing in the way of removing them from the history books .What ever could be their reason ???

a reply to: IAMTAT

So when are the gods gonna come and give these barbarians a divine spanking?

a reply to: hotel1

Back in the day ,even some were using dynamite to gain access to the Pyramids ,so imagining that free limestone to make buildings seems less destructive in a sense .

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: hotel1

Back in the day ,even some were using dynamite to gain access to the Pyramids ,so imagining that free limestone to make buildings seems less destructive in a sense .

Was this done for tomb robbing or archaeological research purposes?

originally posted by: starwarsisreal
a reply to: IAMTAT

So when are the gods gonna come and give these barbarians a divine spanking?

Enki & Enlil need to smite them ASAP!

Outrage of monument destruction seems to be chic this spring...


I feel worse for the little boy who had his brains splattered by Shiite militia after being accused of fighting for ISIS...

No kid deserves to be tied up and shot in the head then riddled with bullets...





Oh you didn't hear that story...

Why would you, it's only ISIS.





As for this destruction, it's a shame that these things have stood for centuries even with Al Qaeda surrounding them...
Even with aerial bombardment...
Even with civil war...
Even with looting from all sides...


Along come the abhorrent ISIS...
& history is rewritten...


Atrocities on all sides need to stop.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
I wonder if the pyramids and sphinx are on their hit list, as well?

They are...


So is Mecca...


These guys are unreal!

a reply to: hotel1

I would assume so but although acceptable back in the day it is looked on with much disdain today .There are still practices that are questionable to some but accepted in research . I think of ancient graves being moved to allow roads and other infrastructure projects to be completed .

Just recently in Novia Scotia a reservoir was drained for maintenance work to be done but it exposed a lot of Native artifacts and I think they had to put the project on hold . At one time not far in the past the Indian history was looked at as not being of any value .

Only fools would wish to erase history,and what can be learned from it.
Year zero never works for those attempting it.

Disgusting actions by degenerate sub humans.

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Ok, I just wondered if you knew wether if it was carried out for one reason or the other, I wasn't attempting to put you on the spot

these beings should not be classified as human. they act like rabid animals, and that's the way they should be dealt with. kill them all, they are diseased psychopaths.

Why havnt the UN sent in troops or aerial bombardment of these cretins why do they get special treatment of being allowed to do whatever the # they want and any holy site / monuments are fair game to these fools napalm would be a nice way for some of them to go even though they deserve the same justice they carry out on everyone else..

a reply to: robbeh

The UN's silence on the historical sites screams as loud as their silence on what is happening in and to Yemen .It would seem the same group sponsoring ISIS have taken it on themselves to attack another country .The west is also very silent on this aspect as well .

originally posted by: hotel1
Just normal behaviour.

Exactly Saudi Arabia at one time would have been filled with similar monuments to their Jewish and Christian etc past before Islam emerged. I bet all their synagogues and churches etc have been treated to the same violence over the past 1,000 years. As you say this is just normal behaviour

Who is getting rich in the IsIs conflict?

Read kings in the bible. Kings have been Destroying Artifacs in ages past, Burning down Pagan groves
He destroyed temples in high places. Than what happened to the golden calf,Melted and drank .