The tomb of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s father Hafez was set ablaze in Qardaha, according to a report from the news agency AFP. The footage captured the scene showing armed rebels and civilians observing the burning structure.
The Syrian observatory for human rights confirmed to AFP that rebels torched the mausoleum, situated in Latakia province, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite community.
The AFP recordings showed the mausoleum’s damaged state, with Hafez’s burial chamber, completely burned and ruined
The mausoleum contains the remains of other Assad family members, including Bassel, Bashar’s brother, who died in an automobile accident in 1994 whilst being prepared as the successor.
On Sunday, a swift assault by Islamist-led rebels captured key cities before advancing to Damascus, compelling Assad to abandon his position, concluding his family’s five-decade governance.