Khaled al-Asaad was taken hostage after IS seized the Unesco World Heritage site this year The archaeologist who looked after ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria for 40 years is reported to have been killed by Islamic State (IS) militants. Khaled al-Asaad had been held for about a month by the group, which seized the Unesco World Heritage site in May. The 81-year-old's family informed Syria's direct