News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

ISIS have continued their sickening campaign of cultural vandalism by demolishing an ancient Christian monastery.

Pictures show the wanton destruction of Mar Elian in the central Syrian town of al-Qaryatain, which was founded more than 1,500 years ago.

Militants are seen bulldozing the historically-important site in the heartbreaking pictures.

The militants have also moved Christians taken captive in the town to their stronghold of Raqqa, according to a UK-based monitoring grou the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

ISIS has been ransacking ancient sites across Iraq and Syria, selling off artifacts cherished by historians and archaeologists to fund their regime of terror, UNESCO claim.

Read more:

(Image: Getty)

The ancient sites are being left with little or no cultural value, according to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as disturbing accounts of the terrorist group's actions across the two countries tell of its "cultural cleansing".

The UN agency estimates that of the thousands of historical and cultural sites across Iraq, a fifth are currently controlled by ISIS militants.

(Image: Getty)

UNESCO is claiming that the sites have been heavily looted, with ISIS selling artifacts to middlemen who then approach private collectors from around the world to sell on the cherished items.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London, UNESCO chief Irina Bokova said: "This deliberate destruction is not only continuing, it is happening on a systematic basis.

"The looting of archaeological sites and museums, in Iraq particularly, has reached an industrial scale of destruction.

"[ISIS] knows there's a financial upside of this activity and they are trying to gain from it.

"We know also that parties in the conflict are selling to certain dealers and to private collectors and to market end buyers."

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now