Islamic State militants publicly beheaded Khaled Asaad, the 82-year-old head of antiquities of the Syrian city of Palmyra, after being detained and interrogated for over a month, The Guardian reports. Asaad had worked for over 50 years on archaeological missions on excavations and research in the Unesco World Heritage Site of Palmyra.
Before the city was taken over by Isis in May, Syrian official said they moved hundreds of ancient statues to safe location. Although known for destroying what they considered pagan artefacts in the city of Nimrud and Mosul, the militants have not yet damaged the monumental Roman-era ruins in the city.
19 August 2015.
