Mass Grave with Up to 100,000 Bodies Linked to Assad's Regime Found Near Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria — A mass grave believed to contain the remains of at least 100,000 individuals, allegedly killed during the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been discovered outside Damascus, a U.S.-based Syrian advocacy group reported on Monday.

Mouaz Moustafa, head of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, identified the site in al-Qutayfah, approximately 25 miles north of the capital, as one of several mass graves linked to Assad's government. Moustafa described the estimate of 100,000 bodies as "a very, very extremely almost unfairly conservative estimate" during a telephone interview with Reuters.

This chilling discovery comes in the wake of Assad's ousting from power and his subsequent flight to Russia. Syria has been embroiled in civil war since Assad’s brutal 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy protests, which led to widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and torture.

The mass grave's existence adds to the grim tally of atrocities committed during Assad's rule, with the exact number of victims still to be verified as more sites are likely to be uncovered.

The new Syrian authorities, led by the transitional government under Mohammed al-Bashir, have promised to hold accountable those responsible for these crimes. International calls for a thorough investigation and justice for the victims have intensified following this revelation.

Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak, who was appointed while Assad was still in power, has yet to respond to requests for comments on these findings.

GAROWE ONLINE