(27 Feb 2015) The leader of the UN cultural agency on Friday denounced the Islamic State group's destruction of ancient statues and artifacts in a museum in Iraq as "cultural cleansing".
Irina Bokova, director-general of Paris-based UNESCO, said the destruction was a war crime that the world must punish.
Her reaction came a day after a video emerged of IS militants destroying ancient Mesopotamian artifacts in a museum in Mosul, Iraq's second largest city.
The destruction is part of a campaign by extremists who have destroyed a number of shrines - including Muslim holy sites - to eliminate what they view as heresy.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Bokova announced the creation of a "global coalition against the illegal trafficking of cultural goods" that will meet in coming weeks.
She has also asked for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on protecting Iraq's cultural heritage.
Mahmood al-Mulla Khalaf, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Iraq to UNESCO, called on the UN Security Council and the international community to offer military support to Iraq.
He said similar attacks like the one on the museum in Mosul will continue to take place as long as some parts of Iraq are under Islamic State occupation.
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