A mass grave was found in the Aleppo countryside.

A mass grave was found in the Aleppo countryside.

Dec 04 2025

Authorities in Rural Aleppo have uncovered several mass graves inside water reservoirs in the village of Turkan, in the western countryside of al-Sefira, according to Barakat al-Youssef, the administrator of the al-Sefira district.

Al-Youssef told SANA on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, that the graves were discovered inside large local water tanks used to collect rainwater. He noted that similar findings had been reported in other parts of the region in previous months.

The mass graves contain remains of victims killed in massacres carried out by militias of the former regime, he said, adding that the condition of the clothing and indicators at the site suggest that some of the bodies are relatively recent.

“They were killed shortly before the area was liberated, in what appears to have been an attempt to conceal the crimes,” he added. The remains include women, children, and men.

Al-Youssef noted that finding one body—whether of a child, woman, or man—suggests the likelihood of more victims in the same sites.

Search operations are ongoing to identify additional locations and uncover further details, including removing debris and soil used to hide the bodies, in order to determine the total number of victims in each reservoir. He added that specialized teams will move forward with identifying the remains and documenting the victims as part of the ongoing investigation.

Dozens of mass graves have been discovered across Syria since the fall of the Assad regime one year ago. Authorities have yet to clarify follow-up procedures, particularly the identification of recovered bodies, while the families of thousands of missing persons continue to await news about their loved ones.

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