DAMASCUS: Daesh group have demolished two more treasured monuments in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra a month after recapturing it from government forces, the antiquities chief said Friday.
“Local sources told us that 10 days ago Daesh destroyed the tetrapylon,” a 16 columned structure that marked one end of the ancient city’s colonnade, Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP.
“Yesterday (Thursday), we received satellite photographs from our colleagues at Boston University showing damage to the facade of the Roman amphitheater,” he added.
Before being forced out of Palmyra in a Russian-backed offensive in March last year, Daesh carried out a campaign of destruction at the city’s UNESCO-listed world heritage site, razing treasured temples and tower tombs.
The tetrapylon, built during the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the 3rd Century AD, consisted of four sets of four pillars each supporting massive stone cornices.
It was a type of monument often constructed by the Romans to mark key crossroads but that at Palmyra was regarded as one of the greatest.
The monument had suffered considerable damage over the centuries and only one of the 16 pillars was still standing in its original Egyptian pink granite. The rest were cement replicas erected by the antiquities department in 1963.
The Roman amphitheater dates to the 1st Century AD. During its first occupation of the city between May 2015 and March last year, Daesh notoriously used it as a venue of public executions and one of its walls was riddled with bullet holes.
“From the first day, I was bracing myself for a terrible outcome,” Abdulkarim said.
“We had already witnessed the terror of the first occupation and frankly I had never thought that the city would be occupied for a second time.
“The battle for Palmyra is cultural not political. I have never understood how the international community and the main players in the Syria conflict could accept the fall of Palmyra.”
The city’s recapture by Daesh late last year gave the jihadists a propaganda boost as they faced assaults on two of their key strongholds — Raqqa in Syria and Iraq’s second city Mosul.
Daesh in new demolitions at Syria’s Palmyra: antiquities chief
Daesh in new demolitions at Syria’s Palmyra: antiquities chief
Gulf countries offer support to Yemen’s legitimate government, Saudi security
- Qatar, Kuwait say their security is based on the security of Saudi Arabia and the GCC
- Bahrain said it had confidence in the leadership of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to contain differences
LONDON: Gulf and Arab countries on Tuesday offered support to the internationally recognized government in Yemen after the UAE withdrew its forces from the country.
The statements were issued after the military coalition supporting Yemen’s government carried out airstrikes on a shipment of weapons and vehicles destined for southern separatist forces.
The shipment arrived in the port of Mukalla on board two vessels from Fujairah in the UAE.
The Emirates was asked by Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s presidential council, to withdraw its troops from Yemen within 24 hours.
Saudi Arabia said the separatists, operating under the Southern Transitional Council and supported by the UAE, posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security and regional stability by recently seizing territory in the governorates of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra.
Qatar said it was following the developments “with keen interest.”
A foreign ministry statement said Doha fully supported the legitimate Yemeni government and stressed the importance of preserving Yemen's unity and safeguarding the interests of the Yemeni people.
It added that the security of Saudi Arabia and the security of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) “constitute an inseparable part of the security of the State of Qatar, reflecting the deep-rooted fraternal ties and shared destiny that unite the GCC states.”
The ministry commended the statements issued by Saudi Arabia and the UAE “which reflect a commitment to prioritizing the interests of the region.”
Kuwait also offered “unwavering support” for Yemen’s government and said the security of Saudi Arabia and GCC is the basis of its own national security.
Its foreign ministry praised the “responsible approach” taken by both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Bahrain, the current GCC chair, said it had confidence in the leadership of Saudi Arabia and the UAE “and their ability to contain any differences in viewpoints within the framework of a unified Gulf.”
The foreign ministry statement offered “unequivocal” support toward regional and international initiatives and efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive and lasting political solution in Yemen.
Egypt said it had full confidence in Saudi Arabia and the UAE “to handle the current developments in Yemen with wisdom.”
Cairo will continue efforts toward a comprehensive political settlement for Yemen, the statement said.
