Islamic State militants reportedly invaded the Central Library of Mosul last month and seized about 2,000 books, leaving behind only Islamic texts.

According to the Associated Press, an unnamed man (who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retaliation) said that a bearded militant dressed in traditional Afghani garb told residents: “These books promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned.”

To get to the books, the militants allegedly destroyed locks that had protected the largest repository of books in Mosul, which included children’s stories, poetry, philosophy, books, and books about sports, health, culture, and science. They drove off with their loot in six refrigerated trucks.

The Associated Press added that days after the initial ransacking, militants reportedly broke into a different library—the University of Mosul’s library—and burned hundreds of books in front of students.

An Iraqi lawmaker, Hakim al-Zamili, said that “culture, civilization, and science” are among the Islamic State group’s “fierce enemies.” He compared the Islamic State group’s raids to the medieval Mongols, who, in 1258, ransacked Baghdad and dumped ancient texts from its libraries into the Tigris River.

“The only difference is that the Mongols threw the books in the Tigris River, while now Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the Islamic state group) is burning them,” he said. “Different method, but same mentality.”