Islamic State releases video of execution of Syrian soldiers

The Islamic State group has released a video showing the killing of 25 government soldiers in the historic town of Palmyra in central Syria.

The video showed the soldiers being taken in pick-up trucks from the town’s notorious Tadmur prison to the amphitheatre.

They were then shot dead by young IS members armed with pistols, killed simultaneously after a command with a shot to the head.

IS said the men were soldiers captured in the city of Homs. The killings took place on a stage at the front of the Palmyra amphitheatre before a large black Islamic State flag.

Hundreds of people were seen watching the killings. It was not clear when the video was filmed.

Stills from the video showed the killers to be young males, possibly even as young as 13 or 14.

Islamic State has regularly released videos of its mass executions, with production values and gruesome violence that experts say is a key propaganda tool for the group.

It was reported in May that scores of troops and state employees were killed after the Islamic State group captured the town.

Palmyra is a Unesco world heritage site famous for its 2,000-year-old Roman colonnades, other ruins and priceless artefacts.