ARA News 

Damascus, Syria – Militants of the Islamic State (IS/ISIL) have killed more than 300 people in the Syrian ancient city of Palmyra, mostly women and children, locals reported on Sunday.

Speaking to ARA News from Palmyra, a media activist said (on the condition of anonymity) that dozens of corpses were seen in across the city after two days of the IS control. 

“The absolute majority of victims are children and women, while the group says those have been punished for their loyalty to the government,” the source reported. 

The Syrian state television also reported that the city of Palmyra has seen mass executions by the radical group in the weekend. It stressed that at least 400 civilians were killed by the IS. 

Palmyra is home to Roman ruins that include a theatre, colonnades and well-preserved temples.

Reporting by: Laila Majdalawi