The slaughter begins: Isis executes hundreds of women and children in ancient city of Palmyra Five students from same school killed fighting for Isis Isis militants raise black flag over the ancient city of Palmyra Iraq to blame for fall of Ramadi because they have 'no will to fight Isis' Five students from same school killed fighting for Isis Isis militants raise black flag over the ancient city of Palmyra Iraq to blame for fall of Ramadi because they have 'no will to fight Isis'

The slaughter begins: Isis executes hundreds of women and children in ancient city of Palmyra

Killings come after jihadist group raises black flag over the city

• Five students from same school killed fighting for Isis
• Isis militants raise black flag over the ancient city of Palmyra
• Iraq to blame for fall of Ramadi because they have 'no will to fight Isis'

  Just days after seizing Palmyra, Isis massacres 400 people in the ancient city

  

  Most of the people murdered were women and children
  

  Doug Bolton

  Sunday 24 May 2015

  Isis has slaughtered more than 400 mostly women and children in the ancient city of Palmyra, two days after capturing the ancient city.
  

  Syrian state television reported the massacre, quoting residents of the city.
  The state news agency said: "The terrorists have killed more than 400 people.. and mutilated their bodies, under the pretext that they cooperated with the government and did not follow orders."
  Opposition activists claimed that hundreds of bodies littered the streets. They said that many of the victims were from groups or families loyal to the government.
  Amongst the dead were state employees - including the head of the nursing department at the city hospital, and all of her family members.
  Isis supporters released videos of militants searching government buildings, looking for victims and pulling down pictures of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his father.
  Palmyra, a city of 50,000 people is known for its world-famous Roman ruins, including well-preserved temples, colonnades, and a theatre.
  Fears are growing that the group will destroy these priceless remains, given their past record.
  As well as their extreme violence towards their enemies, Isis also seek to destroy ancient artifacts, of which Palmyra has many. In February, a video emerged of Isis militant ransacking a museum in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, destroying ancient statues with hammers and drills.
  Upon entering Palmyra, the group captured a prison in the city, and released images of weapons and explosives they seized there.
  Isis only captured the ancient city on Wednesday, yet have already shown incredible violence and brutality to the city's residents.
  Although it is not immediately possible to verify the accounts, the story is consistent with reports that Isis fighters has carried out numerous executions since taking the city.
  Rami Abdurahman, from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that a large number of Syrian troops had disappeared, and it is not yet clear where they are.
  However, pictures released today by Isis propaganda channels show what they claim is a group of 20 Syrian army soldiers, that they claim were captured in Palmyra.
  There is no confirmation yet that they men in the picture are the missing soldiers, nor that they are who Isis claims them to be.
  The capture of Palmyra is of strategic importance - the city is close to military bases and gasfields, which can provide the group with weapons, fuel and money.
  There are also a number of highways that lead to the capital of Damascus, the refuge of President Bashar Al-Assad.
  Additional reporting by Reuters
  

  Read more: Isis raises black flag over Palmyra
  Isis destroys ancient artifacts with sledgehammers

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