A Syrian official on Thursday called Upon the International Community to Protect the 2,000-year-old Ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra, **w Threatened by advancing Islamic State militants. Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria's director-general of antiquities and museums, told The Associated Press by telephone that the U.S.-led coalition, which has been striking the extremists in Syria since September, should expand its raids to hit militants battling government forces at the gates of Palmyra. Palmyra is k**wn for its Roman-era ruins, which once attracted thousands of tourists, who came to see its towering colonnades and a temple to the god Baal. The UNESCO world heritage site in the ancient oasis city is Syria's most famous, and includes other attractions such as a Efqa Spring and the Temple of Baalshamin. The Islamic State group has destroyed archaeological sites in neighboring Iraq in recent months.