ISIL destroys Christian cemeteries in Iraq’s Nineveh province

The Takfiri ISIL militants have destroyed ancient Christian cemeteries in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh.

According to local Iraqi sources, the Takfiri group razed to the ground several Christian tombs and gravestones, and converted churches into military offices in northern Iraqi cities, including Nineveh and Mosul, English-language online newspaper Iraqi News reported on Sunday.

“The militants of the terrorist organization ISIS (ISIL) destroyed ancient tombs belonging to Christians on the outskirts of Nineveh and the center of the province,” a local source, speaking on condition of anonymity said, adding that, “All of them held archaeological value as ancient Christian cemeteries in Nineveh.”

The ISIL militants “removed all crucifixes from the churches in Mosul and a number of churches have been turned to the headquarters of the organization,” the source added.

The ISIL terrorist group released a video earlier in April, showing the Takfiri militants destroying artifacts at Iraq’s northern ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud before blowing up the site.

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

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

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.