The inhumane gangs of ISIS have attacked and begun bulldozing the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq.

An Iraqi official responsible for antiquities said the destruction began Thursday afternoon, adding that "Until now, we do not know to what extent the city has been destroyed.” The official said ISIS also deployed trucks at the site to haul away the artefacts.

The ancient city of Nimrud which was founded in the 13th century BC lies on the Tigris River, 30 kilometres south of Mosul.

The barbaric ISIS announced that their next target will be town of Hatra in the Nineveh province which is also ranked on Unesco's world heritage list.