Beirut – A mass grave containing at least 65 bodies killed by the Islamic State extremist militia in the ancient city of Palmyra has been discovered by Syrian government forces.
A monitoring group reported on Thursday in Beirut that the bodies belonged to members of regime forces and allied paramilitaries, who were executed after Islamic State took over Palmyra in May 2015.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the grave was found near a military airport in the central Syrian city.
The group relies on a network of activists inside Syria for information, said there was no official confirmation in Damascus.
It said if confirmed, the grisly find would be the second of its kind in Palmyra, since it was retaken from Islamic State nearly two months ago.
In April, Syrian state media reported that government forces had uncovered a mass grave in Palmyra holding the bodies of more than 40 people, including women and children.
Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site whose triumphal arch was among several landmarks blown up by Islamic State militants. (dpa/NAN)