Unesco adds six ancient sites in Syria to danger list

Paris, June 22 (IANS/AKI) Six historical sites in Syria including mosques, citadels and souks are in peril because of the country's civil war, the UN cultural agency has said.

Unesco said in a statement that the sites are "of outstanding universal value for humanity as a whole" and urged international support to safeguard them.

The historical centres in Damascus, Bosra and Aleppo, as well as the desert oasis of Palmyra, a cultural centre of the ancient world, were added to Unesco's list of World Heritage sites.

Aleppo's old city, in particular, has "witnessed some of the conflict's most brutal destruction," Unesco said, adding that the old citadel was "caught in the line of fire".

The security situation has left Syria's archaeological sites susceptible to damage. Illicit trade in Syria's rich archaeological heritage has flourished during the two-year war between rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

--IANS/AKI

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