Islamic State extremists demolished a large stone relief in the shape of a cross that adorned the facade of ancient church in northern Iraq, the local Ankawa news website reported on Thursday.
Ankawa published a series of photos showing destruction wrought by the pick-axe wielding militants on the Syrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin in the city of Mosul.
The church facade had been under restoration at the time of the attack, Ankawa said.
IS fighters have seized or destroyed most of the art and religious monuments in Mosul, whose Christian and other minority populations have fled since the Sunni extremist group overran the city last June.
