In Iraq, Islamic State group have blown up Mosul’s iconic al-Nuri mosque and its famous leaning minaret. The medieval mosque, also known as Mosul’s Great Mosque, is where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014 declared a Islamic caliphate spanning parts of Iraq and Syria. The mosque’s historic minaret stood for more than 800 years.

Iraq’s military said in a statement that its forces were within 50 meters of the mosque when IS outfit committed another historical crime by blowing up the building. However, IS claim that US aircraft destroyed the mosque.

US Pentagon said that the responsibility of this devastation is laid firmly at the doorstep of IS. US General Joseph Martin said, this is a crime against the people of Mosul and all of Iraq, and is an example of why this brutal organization must be annihilated. The destruction of the mosque comes on the fourth day of an Iraqi offensive on Mosul’s Old City, backed by U.S.-led coalition forces.