Maamoun Abdulkarim said he was still afraid the militant group would blow up Palmyra’s 2,000-year-old Roman ruins at Palmyra including tombs and the Temple of Bel, which could be viewed as idolatrous in its puritanical vision of Islam.

Still, Abdulkarim told Reuters by phone, “the historic city is fine. There is no damage so far”. He cited contacts with people on the ground in the central Syrian city. Palmyra, also known as Tadmur, is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A short video posted by an account supportive of ISIS on YouTube on Tuesday claimed to show Palmyra after the militants took control.

The footage, mostly filmed without sound and people, showed the Palmyria’s ancient citadel, columns, colosseum, buildings and walls. One shot showed black smoke rising behind ancient ruins but it did not appear that any of the historical sites had been obviously damaged by the week of fighting.