Iraqi paramilitary forces said Wednesday that they have captured Hatra, a 2,000-year-old historical site near the northern city of Mosul, where U.S.-backed forces have been battling the Islamic State group for months.
Karim al-Nouri, a spokesman for the state-sanctioned force made up mainly of Shiite militias, told state TV they captured the UNESCO world heritage site and were about two miles from a nearby town with the same name, without providing further details.
Iraqi forces often claim to have driven ISIS from areas that are still far from secure, or that quickly fall back into the militants’ hands.
Hatra is believed to have been built in the second or third century B.C. by the Seleucid Empire. ISIS militants destroyed it along with other major historical sites in and around Mosul after seizing much of northern Iraq in 2014. The extremist group believes antiquities promote idolatry, though it is also believed to sell artifacts on the black market to fund its operations.