ISIS militants allegedly destroyed an ancient catholic monastery in Syria, according to a monitoring group and pictures published by the jihadist group online.
"The Islamic State group yesterday used bulldozers to destroy the Mar Elian monastery in Al-Qaryatain, in Homs province," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Director Rami Abdel Rahman.
The monastery was captured by jihadists Aug. 5 and is also where Syrian priest Jacques Mourad was abducted in May, when he prepared to receive residents of nearby Palmyra fleeing an IS advance, according to the AFP.
Twitter accounts linked with ISIS allegedly posted pictures of the destruction, according to RT, claiming the site was destroyed because it was used for worshipping a god that wasn't Allah. The photos show parts of the monastery, dating back to the 5th century, reduced to rubble.
The monastery is connected to a famous church with the same name, however it's unknown if the church was damaged during the attack.
ISIS kidnapped 230 other people in the area two weeks ago, including dozens of Christians, reported the Catholic Herald. Forty-eight hostages have been released, while 110 were transferred to its stronghold of Raqa province.
The fate of the other 70 hostages is unknown.
