Islamic State militants have demolished more ancient ruins at the city of Palmyra, as part of their quest to destroy historical sites deemed sacrilegious or heretical.
Ancient ruins at the city of Palmyra
On Friday, Syria's antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters that three ancient funeral towers, dating from between 44 and 103 AD, had been blown up.
This included one of the best preserved towers in Palmyra, the funeral tower of Elahbel, which was built in 103 AD. The four-storey sandstone tomb was built to hold the remains of the ancient city's richest families.
Islamic State militants are continuing the destruction of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that began when they took control of the city in May. Just days ago, satellite images revealed that the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel, initially thought to have withstood an attack, had been obliterated by IS.
As fears about the safety of other structures at Palmyra intensify, the United Nations cultural organisation, UNESCO, has described the destruction of this historical site as a "war crime" that aims to wipe out the diverse cultural history of Syria.