Search teams have recovered 175 bodies from mass grave in the Damascus suburb of Otaiba, Syrian authorities confirmed.
The site was discovered earlier this week by residents who alerted officials. The remains are believed to include civilians and opposition fighters killed in a February 2014 ambush by forces loyal to then-president Bashar al-Assad, as people tried to flee the besieged enclave of eastern Ghouta.
Officials said only bodies near the surface had so far been removed. Amer Fahed, a commander with the White Helmets civil defence group, said excavation of the site would not begin until procedures are set by the National Commission for Missing Persons. Ammar al-Issa, an official with the commission, added that the number of victims could be higher, with estimates ranging between 200 and 300.
Families of the disappeared gathered at the site in search of clues. Some said they recognised clothing among the recovered belongings.
The discovery is one of several mass graves uncovered across Syria since Assad’s ouster in December 2024, when a rebel offensive ended his nearly 25-year rule and the Baath Party’s decades-long dominance.
Syria’s interim government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, established the National Commission for Missing Persons in May to investigate cases of detention and disappearance. Rights groups estimate that about 150,000 people were detained or went missing between 2011 and 2024, many of them feared to be buried in unmarked graves.
Families of the disappeared continue to stage demonstrations demanding accountability and faster progress in uncovering the fate of their loved ones.
Türkiye and Serbia agreed to expand cooperation across defence, foreign policy and economic relations following talks between President Recep Tayyip ...
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a...
Ukraine’s allies have pledged nearly $48bn in military support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, vowing to intensify pr...
The Trump administration on Thursday finalised rules revoking the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, ...
The formation of a black hole can be quite a violent event, with a massive dying star blowing up and some of its remnants collapsing to form an except...
Türkiye and Serbia agreed to expand cooperation across defence, foreign policy and economic relations following talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Aleksandar Vučić in Ankara.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he “should be ashamed of himself”.
Ukraine’s allies have pledged nearly $48bn in military support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, vowing to intensify pressure on Russia and strengthen Kyiv’s battlefield position.
The Trump administration on Thursday finalised rules revoking the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a move that significantly reshapes long-standing U.S. climate policy.
James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said a bridge project linking Canada’s Ontario province with the U.S. state of Michigan would contribute to cooperation between the two countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Trump hosted Netanyahu for closed-door talks focused on negotiations with Tehran, Gaza and wider rBenjamin Netanyahu ended a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at The White House on Wednesday without reaching agreement on how to move forward on Iran.
Mexican Alpine skier Lasse Gaxiola will have his mother for company on his Olympic debut but she will not be cheering him from the finish area in Saturday's giant slalom in Bormio because she will be three hours away preparing her own race.
The suspect in a deadly school shooting in western Canada was an 18-year-old woman who allegedly killed her mother and stepbrother before attacking her former school. Investigators have not provided a motive for what is being described as one of the worst mass killings in Canada.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he “should be ashamed of himself”.
Ukraine’s allies have pledged nearly $48bn in military support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, vowing to intensify pressure on Russia and strengthen Kyiv’s battlefield position.
Medical group accuses paramilitary force of targeting civilians in al-Kurqal area, urges international action to protect residents.
Day 6 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics brought fans and photographers unforgettable moments of athleticism, determination and sheer joy. From the ice rinks of Milan to the snowy slopes of Livigno, athletes pushed themselves to the limit delivering breathtaking performances.
U.S. border chief Tom Homan said on Thursday (12 February) a federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota will end after months of raids that led to more than 4,000 arrests, mass protests and two fatal shootings.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment