Destruction of Palmyra Would Be 'Extraordinary Loss,' Says UNESCO Chief

The director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has said she is “extremely worried” about the fate of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Palmyra, Syria, in the wake of its seizure by Islamic State militants. Bokova said any destruction at Palmyra would represent “an extraordinary loss for humanity”. Human settlement at Palmyra dates back to the Neolithic era, and its ruins date back to the first century.

Bokova said the site “belonged to the whole of humanity.” Credit: YouTube/UNESCO