Story highlights At least 40 bodies found in a grave in Palmyra this week, the Syrian Arab News Agency says

Many were women and children, SANA reports, and some show signs of torture

Syrian army forces and militias chased out ISIS on March 27, state-run media said

(CNN) Nearly a week after recapturing Palmyra from ISIS, Syrian forces say they're uncovering grim evidence of how the Islamist terror group conducted its 10-month occupation of the ancient city.

The liberating forces found a mass grave with at least 40 bodies -- many of whom were women and children -- in the northeastern part of Palmyra this week, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

The dead are believed to have been among hundreds killed by ISIS after it stormed into the central Syrian city in May, SANA reported.

Some of the remains show signs of beheading and torture, SANA said.

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The Syrian army and militias loyal to the regime seized the city and chased out ISIS fighters on March 27, state-run media said. Since then, the government has been trying to assess the death and destruction that the group left behind.

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