Iraq: Militants destroy ancient mosque in Mosul AP Baghdad, July 25, 2014 | UPDATED 02:07 IST People walk on the rubble of the destroyed Mosque of The Prophet Younis, or Jonah, in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, July 24, 2014. The revered Muslim shrine was destroyed on Thursday by militants who overran the city in June and imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law. AP PhotoIslamic extremist militants on Thursday blew up a revered Muslim shrine traditionally said to be the burial place of the Prophet Jonah in Iraqs second-largest city, Mosul, residents of the city said. The residents said the Islamic State militants, who overran Mosul in June and imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law on the city, first ordered everyone out of the Mosque of the Prophet Younis, or Jonah, then blew it up. The mosque was built on an archaeological site dating back to 8th century BC and is said to be the burial place of the prophet, who in stories from both the Bible and Quran is swallowed by a whale. It was renovated in the 1990s under Iraqs late dictator Saddam Hussein and until the recent militant blitz that engulfed Mosul, remained a popular destination for religious pilgrims from around the world. Several nearby houses were also damaged by the blast, said the residents, speaking on condition of anonymity because they feared for their own safety. The residents told The Associated Press that the militants claimed the mosque had become a place for apostasy, not prayer. The extremists also blew up another mosque nearby on today, Imam Aoun Bin al-Hassan mosque, they said. The attack came hours after Iraqi lawmakers elected veteran Kurdish politician Fouad Massoum as the nations new president, as they struggle to form a new government amid the militant blitz that has engulfed much of northern and western Iraq. Iraq is facing its worst crisis since the 2011 withdrawal of US troops amid the blitz offensive last month by al-Qaida breakaway Islamic State group that captured large swaths of land in the countrys west and north, including Iraqs second largest city of Mosul. The militants have also seized a huge chunk of territory straddling the Iraq-Syria border, and have declared a self-styled caliphate in the territory they control. For more news from India Today, follow us on Twitter @indiatoday and on Facebook at facebook/IndiaToday Read more at: indiatoday.intoday.in/story/militants-destroy-mosque-mosul-iraq-prophet-jonah-saddam-hussein/1/373964.html
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 09:19:56 +0000
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