ISIL militants destroy historical mosque in Raqqa

ISIL militants destroy historical mosque in Raqqa
Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:27:35

Terrorists belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have destroyed another religious site in Syria, Al-Alalam reports.

The al-Qaeda-linked militants damaged historical al-Mansoureh Mosque in the northeastern city of Raqqa on Monday.

The militants also have caused damage to many religious sites including mosques and churches after the occupation of the city.

Over the past year, thousands of foreign militants have poured into Syria to fight government forces.

Analysts from an arm of the British defense consultant IHS Jane’s and from a nonprofit think tank in London estimate that over 15,000 foreign militants, including Americans and Europeans, are fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In recent weeks, Western diplomats have warned that the issue of more than a thousand terrorists who have come from Europe to fight in Syria has turned into "a serious concern" for the countries they come from.

The US and some of its allies, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, openly support the militancy in Syria.

More than 100,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in March 2011.The prolonged militancy has also forced millions of Syrians to flee their homes.

BA/BA

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