United Nations Security Council strengthened its protection of global cultural heritage sites threatened by armed conflicts, saying perpetrators of unlawful destruction could be prosecuted for war crimes. From the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan to the ancient shrines of Timbuktu, deliberate attacks against the world's great heritage sites have multiplied in recent years.<br/><br/> In a unanimously approved resolution, the Security Council called for a systematic protection of cultural heritage sites, following early steps taken in the aftermath of the attacks by Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria.<br/>The new UN resolution calls on countries to create specialized units to protect cultural heritage and for stronger international cooperation to thwart the trafficking of cultural goods from conflict zones.