ISIS blow up landmark mosque in Mosul – but blame AMERICAN forces for brutal attack
ISLAMIC State (ISIS) savages have blown up a mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
ISIS destroy iconic Al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul
The terror group brutally destroyed the iconic Grand al-Nuri Mosque of Mosul and its leaning minaret, according to the Iraqi military.
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamic 'caliphate' from the pulpit of the famous mosque in June 2014.
But the group's media outlet Amaq has claimed American forces were behind the attack.
The explosions happened as Iraqi forces, which have been battling their way through Mosul's Old City, closed in on the mosque.
A United States-led coalition is providing air and ground support to the Mosul offensive, which began in October 2016.
Iraqi officials had hoped the mosque could be captured in time for Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a 'caliphate' from the mosque in 2014
Iraqi officials had hoped the mosque could be recaptured this month
Baghdadi has left the fighting in Mosul to local commanders and is believed to be hiding in the border area between Iraq and Syria.
More than 100,000 civilians, half of which are children, are trapped in Mosul's Old City with little food, water, medicine and no electricity.
The International Red Cross said on Monday sick and wounded civilians escaping through ISIS lines were dying in "high numbers".
Smoke billows behind the famous mosque during fighting in April
The mosque is the latest historic site in the Middle East to be destroyed by Isil.
The depraved militants famous Tetrapylon monument and damaged a Roman theatre in the acient Syrian city of Palmyra in January.
And they destroyed countless priceless artefacts in the city after capturing it in May 2015.