Turkish-backed terrorist groups continued their illicit excavation and digging operations to steal antiquities and distort the archeological sites in the southwestern Idleb countryside, as part of continued efforts to carry out the occupier’s schemes to deface Syria’s historical identity and its cultural and civil heritage.
Media and local sources said that Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, back by the Turkish regime have brought in digging vehicles and equipment, in addition to archeological metal detectors to carry out illegitimate excavation works at the Tel Ghannam archeological site in the Jisr al-Shoughour area.
The terrorists’ excavation work is searching for antiques, which are looted and smuggled to Turkey, according to sources.
The sources pointed out that Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists have carried out kidnapping campaigns against the locals in the areas to force them to search for antiquities and sell them to Turkish brokers, asserting that the terrorists intended to sabotage and destroy the Tel Ghannam site during their searching operations.
In a statement to SANA, the head of the Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums Mahmoud Hammoud said that all the archeological sites controlled by the terrorist organizations in Idleb, Afrin and Aleppo are unfortunately desecrated by those terrorists who illegally carried out excavation works that aim at searching for treasures, as well as destroying the archeological heritage and civilization of Syria.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
