Many artifacts looted by ISIS from Syria and Iraq are stored to be sold later at auction houses

PARIS, (ST)-Gilles de Kerchove, the Counter-Terrorism Coordinator at the European Union, has unveiled that huge amount of antiquities looted by terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq are currently stored in preparation for selling them later.

According to France Press, De Kerchove said in a press conference on Friday that he is confident that many of the antiquities, looted when Daesh terrorist organization was controlling several  areas in Syria and Iraqi, are still stored in the vicinity of the two countries awaiting a decline in international interest in this issue so that looters and smugglers can introduce these art pieces in markets and at auction houses within six to seven years.

 De Kerchove stressed that ISIS has destroyed several archeological sites in Syria and Iraq, looted the artifacts and sold licenses for archeological excavation, the Syrian News agency SANA (Arabic) said.

He affirmed that combating the smuggling of the artifacts is a very important mission, because many of the persons who buy these art pieces don’t realize that they are funding terrorism.

Hamda Mustafa