Syrian forces strike IS positions in Palmyra countryside, uncover mass grave

The Syrian warplanes on Saturday struck positions of the Islamic State (IS) group in the countryside of the recently-captured Palmyra city in central Syria, as the ground forces uncovered a mass grave burying the bodies of at least 40 people, state news agency SANA said.

The war jets pounded the IS positions west of the town of Sukhenh and the Arak oil field in the countryside of Palmyra in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs, said SANA.

Meanwhile, the state news agency said the ground Syrian troops had uncovered a mass grave inside Palmyra, combining the bodies of at least 40 people, including 15 women and children.

The search is ongoing for other bodies in the grave, SANA added.

The Syrian army recaptured Palmyra on March 27, ending nearly 10 months of the IS rule in that ancient oasis city, which suffered several bombings by the IS, targeting important monuments and temples.

Palmyra contains monumental ruins of a great city that was once one of the world's most important cultural centers.

Before the onset of the Syria crisis five years ago, Syria, endowed with prehistoric Greek, Byzantine and Islamic heritage, used to attract numerous multinational archaeological missions seeking new clues and investigating historical facts concerning the development of civilizations. Enditem