Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Three “ISIS criminals” accused of destroying and looting priceless artifacts from a museum in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul days ago have been identified, the city’s governor said Sunday.

A video published by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Thursday showed statues and artefacts dating back to thousands of years being smashed into pieces, drawing ire from the international community.

Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi said the perpetrators were found to be citizens of Mosul and would be subject to prosecution.

“The identities of three criminals belonging to ISIS who destroyed artefacts at the Mosul museum have been identified,” he wrote in a Facebook statement.

The governor also said that in addition to destroying statues, the ISIS "criminals" stole portable artifacts.

Extremists used sledgehammers and drills to destroy the Iraqi artifacts, saying they were symbols of idolatry.

*Al Arabiya