Islamic State Photos Purport to Show Unharmed Palmyra Ruins

Islamic State posted photographs online which it said were taken in the central Syrian city of Palmyra and appeared to show its ancient ruins unharmed since the hardline group seized it from government forces.
Reuters was not able to independently confirm the authenticity of the photographs posted on jihadi forums by the Islamic State's media branch. Activists in contact with people inside the city have also said there has been no damage to the UNSECO World Heritage site since the takeover.
Islamic State is an offshoot of al Qaeda that has seized territory in Syria and Iraq and is the target of a U.S.-led air strike campaign in both countries.
The group has destroyed antiquities in neighboring Iraq and Syria's antiquities chief has voiced fears it might now devastate Palmyra, home to renowned Roman ruins including temples, colonnades and an amphitheatre.