Palmyra, parts of it already destroyed by the Islamists who deemed these monuments idolatrous, was still rigged with explosives.

The jihadist group has denounced pre-Islamic art and architecture as idolatrous, and has destroyed several other ancient sites in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Nimrud was bulldozed last year as part of Islamic State’s campaign to destroy symbols the Sunni Muslim zealots consider idolatrous, says the Iraqi government.