Story highlights Nimrud was city in Assyrian kingdom, which flourished between 900 B.C. and 612 B.C.

ISIS has destroyed other ancient sites in Iraq, home of some of earliest civilizations

(CNN) ISIS has again destroyed cultural treasures, this time bulldozing the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in northern Iraq, the nation's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.

"ISIS continues to defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity," the ministry said in a statement. "They violated the ancient city of Nimrud and bulldozed its ancient ruins."

The extent of the damage wasn't immediately clear, according to Iraqi state broadcaster Iraqiya TV.

"Our ministry condemns these criminal acts," the statement said. "Letting these lost gangs go without punishment will encourage them to destroy humanity's civilization, the Mesopotamian civilization, inflicting irreversible priceless damages and losses."