Anadolu captures footage of mass grave discovered in Damascus, Syria

By Anadolu staff

DAMASCUS, Syria (AA) - Anadolu captured the footage of the area in the Husayniyya district of the Syrian capital Damascus, which is claimed to be a mass grave.

The discovery comes as part of search and investigation efforts continued across Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The mass grave is located in the southeastern part of the capital, just behind Damascus Airport.

It is suspected that more than 100 pits, each around 20 meters (65 feet) deep, are being used as graves, with bodies buried on top of one another.

- Cemetery guard recounts discovery of mass grave

Eymen Halil, the cemetery guard in Husayniyya, shared the story of the mass grave with Anadolu.

Having worked in the area since 2005, Halil witnessed the events surrounding the grave's formation firsthand.

"One day, a large vehicle arrived. When they opened the door, a foul odor spread. I almost vomited and stepped back because I couldn’t bear it," he recalled.

Halil identified the individuals, who arrived at the site, as security forces. He mentioned being called to the site but he refused because his friends who went never returned.

He described how the security forces brought around 150 bodies each time. "They dig a pit, bring the bodies, dump them there, and then leave. They initially came during the day, but later began coming at night," he said.

"They buried bodies once or twice a week. When trucks or excavators arrived, it was clear they were there to bury someone."

The guard emphasized that hundreds of people were buried in this cemetery.

Although Halil did not personally know the individuals who came to bury the bodies, he said: "We pray to God for these people to be revealed. We know for sure that this place is filled with the dead."

- Mazhar Arakusi searches for his brother's remains in mass grave

Mazhar Arakusi, a resident of Damascus, spoke to Anadolu about his search for his brother's remains in the mass grave.

Arakusi has four brothers and recalled: "On the night of Jan. 3, 2014, they came to our house and took us away."

He described being held in prison for a long period and tortured for five months. "Four of us went in, three of us came out. My older brother died from the torture. We also suffered a lot of torture, and we left it to God," Arakusi said.

"We heard that a mass grave had been found here. We came here hoping to find his body or his bones. We want to conduct a DNA test and bury him according to Islamic traditions."

He expressed hope that the bodies exhumed from the mass grave would be identified. "You know the person in the grave is your relative, but you don’t know where they are, you just pray."

Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity. More than 5 million civilians have since been displaced.

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime groups seized control of Damascus. The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities across the country in a swift offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul