The Islamic State group released a video on Thursday purportedly showing militants using sledgehammers to smash ancient artifacts in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul.

The five-minute video shows a group of bearded men in a museum using hammers and drills to destroy several large statues, including one depicting a winged-bull Assyrian protective deity that dates back to the 9th century B.C.

The authenticity of the video could not be immediately verified by The Associated Press.

The extremist group has destroyed a number of shrines - including Muslim holy sites - in order to eliminate what it views as heresy.

The militants are also believed to have sold ancient artifacts on the black market in order to finance their bloody campaign across the region.

The video bore the logo of the IS group’s media arm and was posted on a Twitter account used by the group.

(Inputs from AP)