ISIS militants have begun dismantling the ancient archaeological site of Hatra in northern Iraq in their ongoing effort to eliminate the region of what they consider idolatrous imagery, Iraqi authorities said Saturday.

The militants have destroyed parts of Hatra, about 70 miles south of Mosul, and started to pilfer antiques from the city, Qais Hussein Rashid, deputy minister of tourism and antiquities, told NBC News. He called the attack "a new crime against the Iraqi civilization and humanity in general."

Iraq crisis: 'The Exorcist' temple falls into Isis hands as Shia cleric vows to 'shake the ground' from under the feet of militants
Iraq crisis: 'The Exorcist' temple falls into Isis hands as Shia cleric vows to 'shake the ground' from under the feet of militants - An ancient pre-Christian temple featured in the 1973 horror filmThe Exorcist has been taken by Isis militants in northern Iraq.The Hatra worship complex appears in the opening sequence of the cult film but is now in territory claimed by the insurgents after police guarding the Unesco world heritage site fled the area a fortnight ago when fighting began.The first scene of the film sees Father Lankester Merrin uncovering a talisman belonging to Pazuzu, an ancient Mesopotamian demon during an archaeological dig at Hatra. The temple became a Unesco world heritage site in 1985.The news comes as Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shia cleric, vowed to "shake the ground" under the feet of militants in a televised speech from the holy city of Najaf.Sadr, who strongly opposes US military intervention, was quoted by France 24 as saying: "We will shake the ground under the feet of ignorance and extremism."Officials now fear militants could destroy stone statues held within as idolatrous images, The Telegraph reports. The temples, which date back to the 3rd century BC, honour the sun god Shamash with masks and statues along its walls.