Syria conflict: Unesco adds ancient sites to danger list Published duration 20 June 2013

image caption The minaret of the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo was destroyed during clashes

Six ancient sites in Syria have been added to a UN list of endangered World Heritage sites because of the threat from the conflict there.

The sites were placed on the list by the UN's cultural organisation, Unesco at its annual meeting in Cambodia.

It is hoped the decision will rally support for safeguarding the sites, Unesco says.

The fighting and security situation has left Syria's archaeological sites susceptible to damage and looting.

Unesco said its information on the scale of the destruction was "partial" and came from unverified sources including social media and a report from the Syrian authorities which it said "does not necessarily reflect the actual situation", the AFP news agency reports.

Aleppo's old city, in particular, has "witnessed some of the conflict's most brutal destruction," it said, adding that the old citadel had been "caught in the line of fire".

"The immediate, near-term and long-term effect of the crises on the cultural heritage of Aleppo cannot be overstated," it added.

There are also fears for two castles considered architectural treasures of the 11th-13th Century Crusades - Crac des Chevaliers and Qalat Salah El-Din (Fortress of Saladin).