Footage has emerged showing destruction caused by foreign-backed militants operating in Syria at a shrine holy to Shia Muslims. Militants destroyed the shrine of Uwais al-Qarani in the northern province of Raqqa on Thursday. Raqqa has been under the control of a Takfiri group known as the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) recently. The al-Qaeda-linked ISIL and other Takfiri militant groups have targeted many historical and religious sites in Syria over the past three years, including the holy shrine of Hazrat Zaynab -- the daughter of Imam Ali -- and churches in the Christian village of Ma’loula, near the capital, Damascus. The United Nations has expressed concern over the widespread looting and damage at historical sites in Syria. The country has been the scene of a deadly crisis since March 2011. The Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are said to be supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 06:06:35 +0000