Isis militants blow up 4th-century Christian Mar Behnam monastery in Iraq

Isis militants have reportedly destroyed parts of an ancient Christian monastery dating back to the 4th Century in Iraq.

Militants first seized the Mar Behnam monastery, which is located close to the town of Beth Khdeda, 20 miles south-east of Mosul, shortly after launching their insurgency across northern Iraq in 2014. Reports in June surfaced suggesting fighters had removed crosses from the building and expelled monks, but the building did not appear to have been damaged any further.

It is not known exactly when the recent attacks were carried out. Images purporting to show explosives being detonated around parts of the building were published on Thursday and disseminated by Isis-affiliated accounts.

                                                                  

The historic monastery survived the Nadr Shah attacks between 1743 and 1790 and reportedly holds one of the most valuable Syriac libraries in existence.

The destruction comes after Isis’s media arm published pictures of fighters defacing and vandalising a Christian church and the religious statues within it in Iraq on Tuesday. They were also seen removing crosses and replacing them with Isis flags, in an assault it justified by condemning religious artefacts as idolatrous.

Credit: Independent.co.uk