In Iraq, Islamic State group have blown up Mosul's iconic al-Nuri mosque and its famous leaning minaret. <br/><br/>The medieval mosque, also known as Mosul's Great Mosque, is where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014 declared a Islamic caliphate spanning parts of Iraq and Syria. The mosque's historic minaret stood for more than 800 years.<br/><br/>Iraq's military said in a statement that its forces were within 50 meters of the mosque when IS outfit committed another historical crime by blowing up the building.<br/><br/>However, IS claims that US aircraft destroyed the mosque.<br/><br/>US Pentagon said that the responsibility of this devastation is laid firmly at the doorstep of IS. US General Joseph Martin said, this is a crime against the people of Mosul and all of Iraq, and is an example of why this brutal organization must be annihilated. <br/><br/>The destruction of the mosque comes on the fourth day of an Iraqi offensive on Mosul's Old City, backed by U.S.-led coalition forces.