2015-08-21 16:18:00

IS destroys ancient monastery in central Syria


Islamic State has demolished an ancient monastery in central Syria, according to a priest and activists.

The extremist group posted photos on social media showing bulldozers destroying the Saint Eliane Monastery Friday near the town of Qaryatain, which IS captured in early August.

A Christian clergyman told The Associated Press in Damascus that IS militants also wrecked a church inside the monastery that dates back to the first Christian centuries. The priest, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the monastery included an Assyrian Catholic church.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks Syria's conflict, also reported the destruction of the monastery.

More than sixty  churches have been damaged or destroyed so far during four years of civil war in Syria, says the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) in a comprehensive 21 page report, first published in Arabic on May 7 and now in English.

Christians make up about 10 percent of Syria's  population of 23 million. (AP)








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