Syrian archaeologist 'killed in Palmyra' by IS militants
The archaeologist who looked after ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria for 40 years is reported to have been killed by Islamic State (IS) militants, according to BBC.
Khaled al-Asaad had been held for about a month by the group, which seized the Unesco World Heritage site in May.
The 81-year-old's family informed Syria's director of antiquities Maamoun Abdul Karim that he had been beheaded.
He described Mr Asaad as "one of the most important pioneers in Syrian archaeology in the 20th Century".
IS has demolished several ancient sites in Iraq, and there are fears that it will destroy Palmyra, one of the archaeological jewels of the Middle East.