ISIS mercilessly blows up 2,000-year-old temple in Palmyra

Plumes of smoke rose from the ancient temple of Baalshamin after ISIS militants deliberately bombarded the 2,000-year-old temple. The Jihadist group claims they will continue to destroy the rest of ancient Palmyra.

MUNTINLUPA CITY, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - ISIS members recently detonated explosives around the ancient temple of Baalshamin, leaving behind little more than a pile of rubble.

Images of ISIS blowing up the 2,000-year-old temple in Syria have surfaced online and are being spread by ISIS supporters who praise the group's actions, claiming, "God was not worshipped here."

The temple was dedicated to the ancient pagan god Baal, also known as the "Lord of Heaven," and was an archaeological treasure. It stood for nearly 2 millenniums and was considered one of the best preserved ancient temples in Palmyra.

The recent destruction of the temple is considered an "immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity" by the United Nation's cultural watchdog UNESCO and was labeled a "war crime."

According to witness Nasser al-Thaer, ISIS militants have been placing explosives in the temple for over a month.  The witness claims that he believes other ancient sites in Palmyra might have explosives placed around them, as well.

Activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights believe the Baalshamin temple was destroyed a month ago and the pictures disclosed by ISIS were taken at an earlier date. News of Baalshamin's destruction surfaced after the terrorist group used a bulldozer to demolish the Mar Elian Monastery, a 1,500-year-old Syrian National treasure that has been standing in Al-Qaryatayn since 432 A.D.

Recent reports also reveal that ISIS members butchered one of Syria's well-known archaeologists after he refused to reveal the location of gold and other priceless artifacts located in Palmyra.

Last June, the group destroyed two mausoleums in Palmyra, one of the cities ISIS conquered this year.

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