Photos show Islamic State blowing up famous 2,000-year-old Palmyra temple in Syria
The images show the explosives being set, the explosion and then the rubble
Islamic State militants published photos on Tuesday purporting to show the destruction of a Roman-era temple in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, an act the UN cultural agency Unesco has called a war crime.
Photos were distributed on social media showing explosives being carried inside, being set around the walls of the temple, the large explosion and then rubble.
The temple was built nearly 2,000 years ago and Unesco has described it as a symbol of Syria’s historical cultural diversity, which it says Islamic State is seeking to obliterate.
"It was a beautiful tourist attraction," antiquities chief Abdulkarim said. He said Islamic State had sought to destroy Palmyra's culture and economy, as well as killing the long-serving keeper of its ancient ruins.