Paris, Feb 27 (IANS): After watching a video footage of Islamic State (IS) militants destroying artefacts of the Mosul museum, Unesco director general Irina Bokova said Friday it was "far more than a cultural tragedy", adding it would fuel sectarianism in Iraq.

"I am deeply shocked by footage released showing the destruction of statues and other artefacts of the Mosul museum. I condemn this as a deliberate attack against Iraq's millennial history and culture, and as an inflammatory incitement to violence and hatred," said Bokova in a statement.

"This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy. This is also a security issue as it fuels sectarianism, violent extremism and conflict in Iraq," she added.

According to the statement, large statues from the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hatra, as well as unique artefacts from the archaeological sites of the governorate of Ninewah have been destroyed or defaced in the museum, among many other pieces.

"The systematic destruction of iconic components of Iraq's rich and diverse heritage that we have been witnessing over the past months is intolerable and it must stop immediately," she said.