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 has reported.
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 on Thursday.
The grave was found near a military airport in the central Syrian city, added the UK-based watchdog, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria for information.
There was no official confirmation in Damascus.
If confirmed, the grisly find will be the second of its kind in Palmyra since it was retaken from Islamic State nearly two months ago.
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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.
A month earlier, regime forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, had recaptured Palmyra from Islamic State, marking a major victory for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Regaining Palmyra has allowed the government army to return to the heart of the Syrian desert, a strategic area, control of which had earlier allowed Islamic State to attack government-held territory.
Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site whose triumphal arch was among several landmarks blown up by Islamic State militants.
