The United Nations confirmed today that the Temple of Bel at the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra was destroyed, according to satellite images.
There had been previous reports of an explosion at the temple. The area is currently part of the area held by the Islamic State (IS).
Previously Syria’s antiquities chief said the basic structure of the 2,000-year-old site was intact.
UN satellite analysts Unosat say the image shows almost nothing remains, according to the BBC.
“Unfortunately, the images we acquired do show that the main building of the temple has been destroyed,” Einar Bjorgo, Unosat’s manager, told the BBC early on Tuesday.
IS militants seized control of Palmyra in May, causing fear for the UNESCO world heritage site.
Last week, it was confirmed that another site at Palmyra, the Baalshamin temple, had been blown up.