Islamic State militants have bulldozed an ancient Iraqi city using heavy military vehicles in the latest attack on the country 's historical heritage . The jihadists are said to have gone on the rampage in the city of Nimrud in northern Iraq and even smashed up 3,000 year-old winged statues that are placed at the gates of the Palace of Ashurnasirpal . The attack comes just days after ISIS extremists targeted a museum in Mosul by using power drills and sledgehammers to destroy artefacts , sparking global outrage . Scroll down for video . The ancient Iraqi city of Nimrud in northern Iraq pictured before it was bulldozed by ISIS militants using military vehicles . The jihadists are said to have even smashed up 3,000 year-old winged statues that are placed at the gates of the palace of Ashurnasirpal . A statement from Iraq 's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities did n't elaborate on the extent of the damage . However , they added that ISIS 'continues to defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity . ' The ancient city of Nimrud was the second capital of Assyria , an ancient kingdom that began in 900BC , partially in present day Iraq , and became a great regional power . The city , which was destroyed in 612 BC , is located on the Tigris River , just south of Mosul , which was captured by ISIS last June . In the late 1980s the discovery of treasures in Nimrud 's royal tombs was one of the 20th century 's most significant archaeological finds . After Iraq was invaded in 2003 , archaeologists were relieved to find the treasures had been hidden in the country 's central bank inside a vault submerged in sewage water . ISIS , who control a third of Iraq and Syria , have attacked other archaeological and religious sites , claiming that they promote apostasy . Last week ISIS extremists targeted a museum in Mosul by using power drills and sledge hammers to destroy artefacts , sparking global outrage . An ISIS fanatic uses a power tool to destroy a winged-bull Assyrian protective deity at a museum in Mosul last week . Last year , the militants destroyed the Mosque of the Prophet Younis - or Jonah - and the Mosque of the Prophet Jirjis , two revered ancient shrines in Mosul . They also threatened to destroy Mosul 's 850-year old Crooked Minaret , but residents surrounded the structure , preventing the militants from approaching . Iraq 's national museum in Baghdad opened its doors to the public last week for the first time in 12 years in a move Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said was to defy efforts 'to destroy the heritage of mankind and Iraq 's civilization . ' ISIS has imposed a harsh and violent version of Islamic law in the territories it controls and has terrorised religious minorities . It has released gruesome videos online showing the beheading of captives , including captured Western journalists and aid workers . A U.S.-led coalition has been striking the group since August , and Iraqi forces launched an offensive this week to try to retake the militant-held city of Tikrit , on the main road linking Baghdad to Mosul . ISIS has imposed a harsh and violent version of Islamic law in the territories it controls and has terrorised religious minorities . Jack Green , chief curator of the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago and expert on Iraqi art , said Thursday that ISIS seems bent on destroying objects they view as idols representing religions and cultures that do n't conform to their beliefs . He said : 'It 's the deliberate destruction of a heritage and its images , intended to erase history and the identity of the people of Iraq , whether in the past or the present . 'And it has a major impact on the heritage of the region . ' Mr Green also noted that in many of these attacks on art , pieces that can be carried away are then sold to fund ISIS , while the larger artifacts and sculptures are destroyed at the site .
ISIS has bulldozed the ancient Iraq city of Mosul with military vehicles . Jihadists have gone on the rampage smashing up rare and old artefacts . Destroyed 3,000-year-old winged statues at the gates of an ancient palace . Comes just days after they targeted a museum in Nimrud sparking outrage . There they used sledgehammers and power drills to destroy old relics .