ISIL destroys ancient monastery in central Syria

ISIL, which captured the Qaryatain area in early August, posted photos on social media Friday showing bulldozers destroying the Saint Elian Monastery

A Christian clergyman told the Associated Press in Damascus that ISIL fighters also wrecked a church inside the monastery that dates back to the 5th century. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks Syria's conflict, also reported the destruction of the monastery.

Osama Edward, the director of the Christian Assyrian Human Rights Network, told the Associated Press that government shelling of the area had already damaged the monastery over the past two weeks before ISIL fighters destroyed it.

"Daesh continued the destruction of the monastery," said Edward, using the Arabic acronym to refer to the group. He said the monastery was founded in 432.

Christian priest Jacques Mourad, who lived at the monastery, was kidnapped from the area in May and remains missing. According to Edward, Mourad had actively welcomed and sheltered both Muslim and Christian Syrians fleeing the fighting elsewhere in Homs province.

Activists said that shortly after capturing Qaryatain, ISIL abducted 230 residents, including dozens of Christians. Activists said some Christians were released, though the fate of the others is still unknown.

In February, the group kidnapped more than 220 Assyrian Christians, after overrunning several farming communities on the southern bank of the Khabur River in the northeastern province of Hassakeh. Only a few have been released and the fate of the others remains unknown.

Since capturing about a third of Syria and Iraq last year, ISIL fighters have destroyed mosques, churches and archaeological sites, causing extensive damage to the ancient cities of Nimrud, Hatra and Dura Europos.

They also overran the historic town of Palmyra in May. On Tuesday, famed Palmyra expert Khaled al-Asaad was publicly beheaded by ISIL fighters, his bloodied body hung on a pole in a main square, according to witnesses and relatives.

Antiquities officials said they believed ISIL had interrogated al-Asaad, a long-time director of the site, trying to get him to divulge where authorities had hidden treasures secreted out of Palmyra before the extremists seized the ruins.

UNESCO's Bokova fears that Palmyra may suffer the same fate as other heritage sites which have fallen under ISIL control, such as Saint Elian. Archaeological experts have speculated that ISIL has, in the past, used the destruction of heritage sites to cover for the lucrative looting and selling of archaeological treasures.

"We know that some of the destruction has started," in Palmyra, Bokova said. Recent satellite images have revealed, "a terrible network of literally holes dug into the lands around Palmyra and inside, for illicit excavations and then eventually trafficking and looting," she said.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press