Iraq's national museum has officially reopened in Baghdad, 12 years after it was closed in the aftermath of the US-led invasion, reports BBC.

The museum displays many antiquities looted during the war that have now been recovered and restored.

At the museums's opening, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi spoke of the destruction of ancient statues by ISIS in Mosul and said: "Those barbaric, criminal terrorists are trying to destroy the heritage of mankind and Iraq's civilization. We will chase them in order to make them pay for every drop of blood shed in Iraq and for the destruction of Iraq's civilization.''

About 15,000 artifacts were stolen during the Iraq war, with one-third recovered, reports BBC.The world heritage body Unesco has called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss how best to protect Iraq's rich cultural heritage.

Encompassing about 7,000 years of history, the museum's reopening is a highly anticipated move towards reclaiming lost Iraqi artifacts.