Syria says Islamic State will destroy ancient ruins if it takes Tadmur

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By Kinda Makieh DAMASCUS (Reuters) - The Syrian army is battling Islamic State militants just one or two kilometers (1 mile) from the ancient city of Tadmur, home to a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Syrian antiquities chief told Reuters on Thursday. Maamoun Abdulkarim said that if the militant group seizes the city, which is also k**wn as Palmyra: "They will destroy everything that exists there." Tadmur, which has previously been a frontline in the four-year-long Syrian conflict, is home to extensive ruins of one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world and was put on UNESCO's list of World Heritage in danger in 2013. Islamic State was reported to be advancing toward the city as part of a major offensive in central Syria by the jihadist group. The group, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria, has been filmed destroying ancient artefacts and monuments.

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