DAMASCUS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) group executed 12 civilians in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in central Syria, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.

SANA said the "massacre" was committed by the IS terrorists on Wednesday evening, adding that four state employees, including two teachers, were among the executed.

It added that the IS militants sabotaged a number of archaeological sites in the city.

IS re-entered Palmyra earlier last month, just nine months after losing the city to the Syrian army. The city as well as its airbase, ancient part and citadel fell to IS, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As many as 120 Syrian soldiers were killed during a four-day offensive, in which hundreds of IS militants took part.

The Syrian army captured Palmyra on March 27, 2016, a year after losing the city to the IS.

Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.

The city has an importance to IS as it connects areas under the terror group's control in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour with areas under its control in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs.

The recapture of Palmyra is also important as the group's fighters in Iraq have started entering Syria recently after suffering great losses in battles against the Iraqi army and the U.S. anti-terror coalition.