IS destruction at Syria's Palmyra a 'war crime': UNESCO

The destruction by Islamic State jihadists of two key cultural sites in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra is a "war crime", UNESCO said today.

"This destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity," Irina Bokova, director general of the UN cultural agency, said in a statement following reports that IS destroyed Palmyra's tetrapylon monument and the facade of the city's Roman amphitheatre.