We strongly condemn the US airstrike over the Al-Rahbe castle, located on the banks of the Euphrates River in the municipality of Al-Mayadeen, in the southeast of the province of Deir Ezzor, and whose construction dates back to the ninth century AD.

The ministry said the US aggression violates all international norms and conventions requiring protection and respect for cultural property in accordance with Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention.

In turn, the Director-General of Antiquities and Museums, Nazir Al-Awad, revealed that the 1200-year-old castle suffered cracks and fissures in the walls, adding that the extent of the damage is being assessed.

In Saturday´s early hours, U.S. fighter-bombers attacked dozens of points of the Syrian army and its allies, in the province of Deir Ezzor, located 450 km off the capital, near the border with Iraq.

The attacks, as denounced by Damascus, left several dead and wounded, and caused material damage to public and private properties.

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