100,000 bodies found in mass grave near Damascus, says Syrian official

Mouaz Moustafa, the head of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, reported on Monday that at least 100,000 bodies of people killed by Bashar al-Assad‘s regime were found in a mass grave near Damascus. Moustafa, speaking from Damascus in an interview with Reuters, identified the site at al Qutayfah, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the capital, as one of five mass graves he has documented over the years.

Why it matters

These revelations underscore the ongoing human rights violations linked to the Assad regime, including mass executions and torture. The scale of the alleged atrocity reflects the devastating impact of Syria’s civil war, while the international community remains divided on how to address the situation.

Details

• Moustafa’s conservative estimate suggests at least 100,000 bodies are buried at the al Qutayfah site.
• The grave is said to contain not only Syrians but also U.S., British and other foreign nationals.
• Moustafa believes there are more mass grave sites beyond the five he has identified.
• Reuters could not independently verify Moustafa’s claims.
• The mass killings are connected to Assad’s violent crackdown on protests that began in 2011 and escalated into a full-scale civil war.

Big picture

Since the start of the conflict, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed. Rights groups and governments have accused the Assad regime of widespread extrajudicial killings and mass executions, particularly within Syria’s notorious prison system. Assad has consistently denied these allegations.

What they’re saying

• Moustafa explained that Syrian intelligence services were responsible for transporting bodies, many of whom had been tortured to death, to the mass grave sites.
• He described how bulldozer drivers were forced to bury the bodies, often compressing them to fit in the graves.
• The Syrian government, through its U.N. Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
• Moustafa emphasized the need to secure and preserve mass grave sites to ensure they can be used as evidence in future investigations.

What’s next

Given the scale of the alleged war crimes, international efforts are needed to secure these grave sites and support investigations into the Assad regime’s actions.