Homs, Syria – Syrian internal security forces found an underground prison in an agricultural area near the village of Abu Hakfa in the northeastern countryside of Homs.
During the previous regime, this prison was used to detain civilians.
On Wednesday, the Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, quoted the security official in the eastern countryside of Homs, Marwan Al-Sultan, as saying that the discovered site resembled an underground cave that was uninhabitable.
He was exploited to kidnap women, men and children for financial and political gain.
He stressed that combing operations in the area are continuing, amid expectations that additional mass graves will be found, and that all those involved in these crimes will be legally prosecuted.
In turn, Fawaz Baloul, a resident of the village of Abu Hakfa, pointed out that “the agricultural land on which the prison was discovered belongs to a member of the National Defense Militia”.
He explained that a large cave was found with an iron door and locks at its entrance, which was used for torture and detaining civilians in exchange for paying ransom.
Baloul confirmed that “the region has witnessed repeated kidnappings by these militias.”
He pointed out that he “personally was the victim of one of these incidents”.
According to the agency, the village residents are communicating with the relevant authorities to expand the search for additional evidence that may reveal the extent of the violations to which civilians were subjected during that period.
