Islamic State carries out mass executions of Syrian soldiers at Palmyra

An elderly man, against the backdrop of the notorious IS flag, reads a document to the assembled crowd while IS fighters stand behind the captives, kneeling with their hands tied at the back.

In close-up shots of the men waiting to be killed, they appear to have been beaten on the face.

Tourists take pictures at the ancient Palmyra theater in the historical city of Palmyra, Syria, April 18, 2008.

The capture of Palmyra was a huge public relations victory for ISIS, which the Syrian government has accused of destroying two ancient Muslim shrines in the city. The usage of children has become increasingly popular.

But the contrast between the images of the Syrian ballet and the execution of 25 soldiers – Palmyra “before and after Isis” – is nonetheless a powerful reminder of the latest awful result of the country’s long internal conflict.

Dozens of people, mostly residents of Palmyra, are shown watching the slaughter. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said these shootings took place on May 27. Just days after the takeover, IS murdered 20 men in the amphitheatre.

Numerous men executed in the amphitheater already showed the signs of serious abuse and torture at the hands of their ISIS captors.

ISIS has regularly released videos of its mass executions, with slick production and gruesome violence that experts say is a key propaganda tool for the group. The loss of Tadmur and Palmyra was a big loss for the Syrian military. The 10-minute video was released by the group’s local branch in the Syrian province of Homs, according to the SITE intelligence group. In particular, she said, ISIS militants had destroyed several burial sites and the famous “Lion of Allat” statue, which depicts the ancient moon-goddess Allat.