Islamic State militants released a video on Thursday showing the destruction of priceless antiquities in northern Iraq.

Running for more than five minutes, the video records men toppling statues in a museum and smashing them with sledgehammers, and attacking other statues at an archaeological site with a jackhammer.

Likened to the 2001 demolition of the colossal Buddha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, this latest rampage against the cultural heritage of the Middle East has sparked outrage and concern around the world.

The shattered artifacts, from archaeological sites near Mosul, represent two very different civilizations. (Read: "Q&A: Why Sunni Extremists Are Destroying Ancient Religious Sites in Mosul.")

The first moments of the video show stone statues under assault in the Mosul Museum. Dating from