Iraq reopens national museumBaghdad, Feb 28 (AZINS) Iraq Saturday reopened its national museum, apparently in response to the mass destruction of ancient artifacts by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the northern city of Mosul.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed to hunt down those who destroy and smuggle the ancient artefacts in the reopening ceremony held in the museum, which is located in central Baghdad, the capital of the country.

"There are reports that the IS destroyed some of the antiquities and is smuggling others. And unfortunately, there is assistance from some traitors," Xinhua news agency quoted Abadi as saying at a press conference on the sidelines of the ceremony.

"We will preserve the human heritage and will go after those who are trying to destroy it," Abadi stressed.

"This is a serious call to the Security Council of the United Nations, all peace-loving nations and all those who defend human civilisation and Islam in the land of Iraq to go after all of them (IS militants and collaborators)," Abadi added.

For his part, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Adel Shirshab told the reporters that "the prime minister wanted the opening of the national museum today in response to those obscurantist attacks".

"Tomorrow, we will receive the visitors," Shirshab said.

Late Friday night, Abadi's office issued a statement condemning the mass destruction of ancient artefacts in Mosul, saying "the destruction of Mosul museum by the IS is a barbarian and cowardly act that will not pass without punishment".

Also Friday, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) issued a press release denouncing the "deliberate attack against Iraq's millennial history and culture and as an inflammatory incitement to violence and hatred".

In a video released late Thursday, a group of IS militants armed with sledgehammers and jackhammers smashed and defaced large statues from the Unesco world Heritage site of Hatra, and unique artefacts from the archaeological sites of the governorate of Nineveh, Unesco said.

In the chaos following the fall of Baghdad April 9, 2003, the Iraqi national museum was ransacked by looters. An estimated 15,000 priceless antiquities were lost and only about half of them have been recovered so far.

The reopening of the museum, which houses some of the world's most precious artefacts of ancient Mesopotamia, was repeatedly delayed due to slow renovations amid persistent violence in the country.

Chaos and fragile security during the post-invasion years left many historic sites in the hands of looters who carried out random excavations and stole tens of thousands of antiquities causing irreversible damage.

At least 32,000 items were estimated to have been looted from 12,000 recognised archaeological sites across Iraq since 2003. Yet for the potentially more than 100,000 sites which are undiscovered, it is impossible to reckon the actual number of stolen artefacts.

The looting also occurred in museums, libraries and archaeological sites in other provinces across the country.

The IS militants destroyed many old temples, shrines, churches and precious manuscripts in Mosul and many other areas.

The latest destruction in Mosul is seen as the worst disaster to hit Iraq's culture since the national museum in Baghdad was looted in 2003.