ISIS Beheads Antiquities Scholar, Hangs Body

Islamic State extremists have beheaded a prominent antiquities expert in Palmyra, a town full of ancient monuments and temples.

Syrian scholar Khaled al-Asaad, 81, was beheaded Tuesday in a square outside the town's museum, Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The Observatory also said dozens of people gathered to witness the killing.

Al-Asaad's body was then reportedly hung from a roman column at the the town's archaeological site.

"Just imagine that such a scholar who gave such memorable services to the place and to history would be beheaded ... and his corpse still hanging from one of the ancient columns in the center of a square in Palmyra," Syrian state antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters.

Prior to his death, al-Asaad had been held by militants for about a month.

"The continued presence of these criminals in this city is a curse and bad omen on (Palmyra) and every column and every archaeological piece in it," Abdulkarim said.