Mass Graves Unveiled in Damascus: White Helmets' Grim Discovery

The Syrian Civil Defence group, also known as the White Helmets, uncovered 21 corpses and human remains in Damascus. The site was previously used by Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias during the civil war. The discovery highlights increasing reports of war-related graves in Syria's capital.

The Syrian Civil Defence, popularly referred to as the White Helmets, made a grim discovery of at least 21 corpses in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb of Damascus. The unearthed remains testify to Syria's enduring scars from its protracted civil conflict.

The site, previously controlled by Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias, once served as a field kitchen, drugstore, and morgue. These militias were staunch allies of former President Bashar Assad during the civil war. The White Helmets, known for operating in rebel-held areas, spearheaded the search and recovery operation led by Ammar al-Salmo.

Rescuers, clad in white hazmat suits, methodically searched the area near the Sayyida Zeinab shrine. They carefully collected the remains, many of which were mere skeletons or incomplete, into black bags while onlookers watched in shock. Al-Salmo remarked on the disturbing trend of war-related burial sites in Damascus, ominously describing the capital as a growing mass grave.

(With inputs from agencies.)