Fighters from the self-styled Islamic State militant group have executed at least 17 people, including civilians, after the jihadists seized Syria's ancient city of Palmyra on Thursday, a monitor said.
Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group Rami Abdel Rahman said: "IS executed 17 people, including civilians and loyalist fighters. At least four of them were beheaded."
He added the civilians were working for a local administrative council, while the fighters included at least one regime soldier and members of the National Defence Forces - a pro-government militia.
"They were accused of working with the regime," Mr Abdel Rahman said.
IS is reportedly preventing residents in Palmyra from leaving their homes and combing houses to find regime loyalists.
According to the Observatory at least 460 people were killed in the battle for Palmyra that began on 13 May, including 49 who were executed by the jihadist group, nine of them children.
