ISIS burns thousands of books and rare manuscripts from Mosul's libraries

From the Independent:

Isis militants have reportedly ransacked Mosul library, burning over a hundred thousand rare manuscripts and documents spanning centuries of human learning.

Initial reports said approximately 8,000 books were destroyed by the extremist group.

However, AL RAI’s chief international correspondent Elijah J. Magnier told The Independent that a Mosul library official believes as many as 112, 709 manuscripts and books, some of which were registered on a UNESCO rarities list, are among those lost...

Among the documents believed lost are a collection of Iraqi newspapers from the beginning of the 20th century, maps, books and collections from the Ottoman period.