Wednesday, August 19, 2015

ISIS beheads Palmyra antiquities expert then hangs his body from a column

(Daily Mail) Depraved militants fighting for the Islamic State in Syria have brutally murdered an 82-year-old retired archaeologist because he refused to tell them where gold and ancient statues were hidden.

The family of Khaled Asaad are said to have been told that the retired scholar, who worked for more than 50 years as head of antiquities in Palmyra, was beheaded by ISIS yesterday.

Mr Asaad had been detained and interrogated for over a month by the ultra-radical Sunni Muslim militants, who demanded to know where many of the ancient city's priceless artifacts had been taken in the days before and after ISIS took control of the city.

Sickening images proudly shared on social media by supporters of the terror group showed the mutilated remains of Mr Asaad chained to a railing, with his severed head - still wearing glasses - placed on the floor between his feet.

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