BAGHDAD, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Five bombs believed to have been implanted by Islamic State (IS) militants years ago were discovered in a wall of the historic al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, a police source said on Saturday.
The find forced the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to halt restoration work at the mosque, according to Major Ahmed Saber of Mosul police.
Saber told Xinhua that security forces had sealed off the site after UNESCO discovered the bombs in the southern wall of the prayer hall.
The IS blew up the al-Nuri Mosque and its iconic leaning minaret on June 21, 2017, with deliberately placed bombs.
UNESCO has been overseeing efforts to rebuild the mosque and other heritage sites in Mosul following the defeat of IS. ■
