The Iraqi military released a video showing the destruction of the historic Great Mosque of al-Nuri on Wednesday by ISIS as the battle for Mosul continues.
Iraqi military video shows moment the historical al-Nuri mosque minaret in western Mosul was destroyed https://t.co/DHZcYo3SHG pic.twitter.com/KLNJH873CN— CNN International (@cnni) June 22, 2017
The explosion was portrayed by the U.S. and Iraq as symbolic of ISIS’ defeat in the city where the group was created.
“As our Iraqi Security Force partners closed in on the al-Nuri mosque, ISIS destroyed one of Mosul and Iraq’s great treasures,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, the American commander for the operation, said in the statement.
“This is a crime against the people of Mosul and all of Iraq, and is an example of why this brutal organization must be annihilated,” Martin said. “The responsibility of this devastation is laid firmly at the doorstep of ISIS, and we continue to support our Iraqi partners as they bring these terrorists to justice. However, the battle for the liberation of Mosul is not yet complete, and we remain focused on supporting the ISF with that objective in mind.”
Islamic State officials told its news agency that U.S. warplanes were responsible for blowing up the Great Mosque of al-Nuri, which was 845 years old.
U.S. officials told CNN those claims were “1,000% false.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the action was intended as “an official announcement of their defeat,” by destroying an Islamic building in their hometown.
The incident comes just after Ramadan’s Night of Power, the holiest day in Islam.
