“What is going on in Syria and Iraq is a process of eradication of the roots of civilizations and the cradle of religions,” Austrian Der Standard newspaper quoted Patriarch Bartholomew as saying in a statement on Saturday.

The newspaper said that the terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra killed civilians from all components of the Syrian and Iraqi societies and destroyed their countries, asserting that terrorists killed both the Christians and the Muslims and expelled them from their homes.