The Islamic State on Wednesday night destroyed the famous Grand al-Nuri Mosque located in Mosul, best known for its leaning minaret, known as the “hunchback” and one of Iraq’s most famous landmarks. The entire structure has been destroyed, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing an Iraqi military statement.
The mosque is where the Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ascended a pulpit in 2014 and declared a caliphate after his fighters took control of Mosul and swept through other areas of northern Iraq and Syria, according to the NYT.
The landmark structure, which was built in the 12th century, had already been targeted by the Islamic State when it first occupied the Iraqi city in 2014.
According to Radio Sawa’s Zaid Benjamin, the photo bolow shows the remains of the structure after the explosion.
Shortly after the military’s report, the terrorist group used its news agency to claim that the mosque had actually been destroyed by an American airstrike. The Pentagon has not yet commented.
The destruction of the mosque and minaret, pictured on Iraq’s 10,000 dinar bank note, is another blow to the city’s rich cultural heritage and its plethora of ancient sites that have been damaged or destroyed during three years of Islamic State rule.
The silver lining is that the battle for control of Mosul, which has raged for months, has been closing in on the Old City, where the Nuri Mosque is, suggesting the ISIS resistance in the city is almost exhausted.
via http://ift.tt/2turTV2 Tyler Durden