(VOVworld) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council in the wake of the mass destruction of rare ancient artifacts by the Islamic State in Iraq.

The IS has destroyed cultural heritages in Iraq (Photo: AP)

In its statement, UNESCO said this attack is far more than a cultural tragedy – this is also a security issue as it fuels sectarianism, violent extremism and conflict in Iraq. This stands in direct violation to the most recent United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199 that condemns the destruction of cultural heritage and adopts legally-binding measures to counter illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural objects from Iraq and Syria.