UNESCO world heritage site damaged by Syrian regime

Baku. 25 December. REPORT.AZ/ The Syrian regime has bombed an ancient castle listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site as it tried to root out rebel fighters who recently captured the town, Report informs referring to UN News Center.

Government helicopters are thought to have been targeting the southern Syrian town of Busra Sham, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic citadel, ruins and well-preserved Roman theatre. It was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and a stopover on caravan routes to Mecca.

Photographs shared on activists' social media pages purport to show significant damage to pillars inside the castle.

“Parts of an ancient citadel in southern Syria, including its uniquely preserved 2nd century Roman theatre, were damaged on Tuesday, when Syrian regime helicopters bombed the archaeological site,” the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

“Bosra al-Sham’s archaeological citadel has seen destruction, material damage and cracking in the western actors’ resting place and the wastewater disposal network,” the monitoring NGO added.

The town has been in the hands of President Assad's troops throughout the four-year-old conflict and was considered to be a stronghold of pro-government forces in the southern province of Daraa.