Iraqi forces retake ancient city of Hatra from Islamic State

Iraqi pro-government forces announce their recapture of the UNESCO-listed ancient city of Hatra from the Islamic State jihadist group.

“Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) forces liberated the ancient city of Hatra… after fierce clashes with the enemy,” says the Shiite-dominated paramilitary group.

Hatra, which lies in the desert southwest of Iraq’s second city Mosul, includes a UNESCO world heritage site.

In this image made from a video posted on YouTube on April 3, 2015, a militant hammers away at a face on a wall in Hatra, a large fortified Iraqi city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (AP, File)

IS destroyed priceless objects in Hatra and at other archaeological sites after seizing swaths of Iraq and Syria in a lightning 2014 offensive.

The full extent of the harm to Hatra remains unclear.

— AFP