ISIL continues destroying ancient city of Nimrud: Video

In the video, the militants, equipped with sledgehammers and power tools, break artifacts and then rig the site with large barrels filled with powder.

The undated video which was released on Saturday also shows the ruins of the city in the aftermath of a massive explosion.

“Whenever we are able in a piece of land to remove the signs of idolatry and spread monotheism, we will do it,” a Takfiri militant says at the end of the video.

Founded in the 13th century BC, Nimrud lies on the Tigris about 30 kilometers southeast of Mosul.

Nimrud, which is on UNESCO’S tentative list of world heritage sites, is often described as the cradle of civilization. It was the capital of Assyria during the new Assyrian era, which began in 911 BC and ended in 609 BC.

In March, the Takfiri militants started bulldozing the ancien city.

The Takfiri group “assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles,” read a post on an official Facebook page of the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on March 5.

The ISIL group released a video on February 26 showing its militants using sledgehammers and drills to smash ancient statues at the Ninawa museum in Mosul, which put on display Assyrian artifacts dating back to the 9th century B.C.

The Takfiri terrorists have already razed to the ground a number of mosques in Syria and Iraq, many of them dating back to the early years of the Islamic civilization. The terrorists have also destroyed tombs belonging to revered Shia and Sunni figures.