Iraqis: Jihadis destroy ancient mosque in Mosul
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press
Jul 24, 2014 11:10 AM CDT
An Iraqi man inspects a destroyed prisoner transport bus in the town of Taji, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, July 24, 2014. Gunmen attacked a prisoner convoy north of Baghdad on Thursday, setting off a gunbattle with troops in which scores of prisoners and several soldiers...   (Associated Press)

BAGHDAD (AP) — Residents of the Iraqi city of Mosul say Islamic extremist militants have blown up a revered Muslim shrine traditionally said to be the burial place of the Prophet Jonah.

The residents say the Islamic State militants, who overran Mosul in June and imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law on the city, ordered everyone out of the Prophet Younis Mosque and Shrine on Thursday, then blew it up.

The residents say several nearby houses were also damaged by the blast. They spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for their own safety.

The mosque was built on an archaeological site dating back to 8th century BC. It was renovated in the 1990's under dictator Saddam Hussein.

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