DAMASCUS — A mass grave containing hundreds of bodies has been discovered in the Husayniyya district of Damascus, Syria, as investigations continue in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Anadolu reported.

The site, located near Damascus Airport, is suspected to contain over 100 pits, each approximately 20 meters (65 feet) deep, with bodies buried on top of one another.

Eymen Halil, a cemetery guard in Husayniyya since 2005, shared his account of the mass grave with Anadolu. Halil described security forces bringing around 150 bodies at a time, dumping them into freshly dug pits. Initially, burials occurred during the day but later shifted to nighttime.

"They buried bodies once or twice a week," Halil said. "We know for sure this place is filled with the dead. We pray for these people to be revealed."

Mazhar Arakusi, a Damascus resident, is searching for his brother's remains among the bodies.

Arakusi and his brothers were detained in 2014, enduring months of torture. While three brothers survived, his eldest died in custody.

"We came here hoping to find his body or his bones," Arakusi said. "We want to conduct a DNA test and bury him according to Islamic traditions."

The discovery highlights the grim legacy of Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 following the Assad regime's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

The conflict has displaced over five million civilians and left countless families searching for missing loved ones.

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8 after anti-regime groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of Damascus in a rapid offensive.

Efforts are now underway to identify the victims and provide families with the closure they have long sought. — Anadolu