Saddam Hussein tomb destroyed in Tikrit clashes

Rasa - The tomb of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been destroyed in fighting near Tikrit where Iraqi forces have been trying to take control of the city from ISIS takfiri terrorists.

News ID: 2247

Date: 19 March 2015 - 10:44

RNA - In a battle between Iraqi forces and ISIS over control of Tikrit recently, the tomb of Saddam Hussein was squashed to rubble, though it's not clear which side did it.

Luckily, the ancient city of Babylon is outside the extremists' grasp, south of Baghdad. For nearly 5,000 years it has stood as a symbol of the glory of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.

According to Iraqi news channels, fearful that Shi'ite militias would harm the tomb, Hussein's tribal allies moved his body from a family plot early last year.

The tribal chief would not give details on where Hussein's body was taken.

Saddam Hussein renovated the ruins in the 1980s, leaving his own crude personal stamp on the bricks there.

One of Hussein's former palaces still peers down over the city.

Saddam Hussein was hanged in 2006 after being convicted of crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shi'ite villagers after a failed assassination bid in 1982.

R111/108/A/