The tomb of Syria&rsquo;s former president and long-time strongman, Hafez al-Assad, in the western city of Qardaha has reportedly been exhumed, according to activists and local media.
Photos and videos that appeared on social media on Monday (April 28) showed the grave heavily damaged and emptied, looking more like a burnt-out pit. People dressed in military uniforms were spotted at the scene, although their identities and affiliations remain unclear.
The footage, some of which was shared by the Syrian news outlet Zaman al-Wasl, is believed to date back to 17 April. Activists said unknown individuals dug up the grave and moved Hafez al-Assad&rsquo;s remains to an undisclosed location. Some blamed armed groups active in the region for the act.
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Unknown individuals reportedly opened the grave of Hafez al-Assad, father of Syria&rsquo;s Bashar al-Assad, in Qardaha and took his body to an unknown location <a href="https://t.co/CGCFuKv57Y">pic.twitter.com/CGCFuKv57Y</a>
&mdash; RT (@RT_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1916739710510104800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
This is the first time that images have emerged showing the late ruler&rsquo;s tomb desecrated in such a way.
<h2>Background of the incident</h2>
The burial site had already been attacked and set on fire shortly after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s regime a few months ago.
Following the withdrawal of government forces from Qardaha, a known Assad family stronghold in Latakia province, regime opponents stormed the site. Videos from that time showed protesters setting fire to the mausoleum and, in acts of public defiance, even urinating on the tombstone.
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For more than twenty years, the Assad regime had treated Hafez al-Assad&rsquo;s tomb as a shrine, requiring visiting dignitaries, soldiers, and ordinary citizens to publicly pay their respects to the late president.
While some hailed him for bringing stability to Syria, critics accused him of setting the stage for repression, corruption, and the brutal sectarian divides that eventually erupted during the 2011 uprising and the subsequent civil war.
<h2>Collapse of the Assad regime</h2>
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s rule, resentment among locals in Qardaha grew louder. Many expressed anger over the grand mausoleum&rsquo;s presence in a town that had long suffered from poverty, while the Assad family lived in luxury and power.
The reported exhumation has sparked mixed reactions online. Some activists praised the removal of Assad&rsquo;s remains as necessary to "cleanse Muslim lands of the tyrant," according to one post on X. Others pointed out that while symbolic, it would do little to mend Syria&rsquo;s deeply fractured society.
As of now, the exact date of the exhumation and the whereabouts of the remains remain unknown.

World: The burial site had already been attacked and set on fire shortly after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime a few months ago.

The tomb of Syria’s former president and long-time strongman, Hafez al-Assad, in the western city of Qardaha has reportedly been exhumed, according to activists and local media. Photos and videos that appeared on social media on Monday (April 28) showed the grave heavily damaged and emptied, looking more like a burnt-out pit. People dressed in military uniforms were spotted at the scene, although their identities and affiliations remain unclear. The footage, some of which was shared by the Syrian news outlet Zaman al-Wasl, is believed to date back to 17 April. Activists said unknown individuals dug up the grave and moved Hafez al-Assad’s remains to an undisclosed location. Some blamed armed groups active in the region for the act. Unknown individuals reportedly opened the grave of Hafez al-Assad, father of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Qardaha and took his body to an unknown location pic.twitter.com/CGCFuKv57Y — RT (@RT_com) April 28, 2025 This is the first time that images have emerged showing the late ruler’s tomb desecrated in such a way. Background of the incident The burial site had already been attacked and set on fire shortly after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime a few months ago. Following the withdrawal of government forces from Qardaha, a known Assad family stronghold in Latakia province, regime opponents stormed the site. Videos from that time showed protesters setting fire to the mausoleum and, in acts of public defiance, even urinating on the tombstone. Also read: Russian delegation supports Syria's ‘sovereignty' following fall of Bashar al-Assad For more than twenty years, the Assad regime had treated Hafez al-Assad’s tomb as a shrine, requiring visiting dignitaries, soldiers, and ordinary citizens to publicly pay their respects to the late president. While some hailed him for bringing stability to Syria, critics accused him of setting the stage for repression, corruption, and the brutal sectarian divides that eventually erupted during the 2011 uprising and the subsequent civil war. Collapse of the Assad regime After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule, resentment among locals in Qardaha grew louder. Many expressed anger over the grand mausoleum’s presence in a town that had long suffered from poverty, while the Assad family lived in luxury and power. The reported exhumation has sparked mixed reactions online. Some activists praised the removal of Assad’s remains as necessary to "cleanse Muslim lands of the tyrant," according to one post on X. Others pointed out that while symbolic, it would do little to mend Syria’s deeply fractured society. As of now, the exact date of the exhumation and the whereabouts of the remains remain unknown.

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As many as 100 chemical weapons sites could still be existing in Syria, far more than the 27 sites initially declared by the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad when Damascus agreed to disarm in 2013, reveals a New York Times report based on the findings of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW, a treaty-based agency in The Hague with 193 member countries, is tasked with implementing the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Chemical weapons inspectors were taken to previously unseen production and storage locations, dating from the rule of Bashar al-Assad, by Syria&rsquo;s caretaker government.
The suspected sites were likely used for research, manufacturing, and storage of nerve agents like sarin, chlorine and mustard gas. Some are believed to be hidden in caves or similar difficult-to-reach sites, raising the risk that the dangerous stockpiles could fall into the hands of extremists and armed groups.
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An OPCW team visited Syria in March to prepare for the task of locating and destroying remnants of chemical weapons stockpile. They were taken to locations that had not been declared to OPCW by the Assad government. The team was given access to documents and details about Assad&rsquo;s chemical weapons programme. &ldquo;The Syrian caretaker authorities extended all possible support and cooperation,&rdquo; the agency said in a summary of the visit posted online. The OPCW was provided security and had &ldquo;unfettered access&rdquo; to sites and people, in sharp contrast to the situation under Assad when Syrian officials used to stonewall OPCW inspectors.
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Although the new leadership in Syria allowed OPCW to start its ground assessments and pledged to eliminate remaining weapons, some experts are still sceptical. &ldquo;There are many locations that we don&rsquo;t know about because the old regime was lying to the OPCW,&rdquo; Raed al-Saleh of the Syria Civil Defence told the NYT. Moreover, Israeli airstrikes on some suspected facilities after Assad&rsquo;s ouster may have destroyed key evidence, thwarting any bid to document violations. Israel says it struck suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile actors.
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Syria&rsquo;s chemical weapons programme dates to the 1970s and involved hundreds of scientists, most of them trained in Europe. Despite official disarmament, watchdogs documented repeated use of banned substances till 2018 at least.
Assad and his Russian backers always denied ever having used chemical weapons in the civil war that began in 2011 and left hundreds of thousands dead.
Syria joined the agency under a U.S.-Russian deal after a 2013 sarin gas attack near Damascus killed hundreds. Around 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed. But it is still believed to have kept some of the weapons and was accused of using them again in the following years.
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The destruction of any remaining chemical weapons was among the conditions the United States imposed on Syria if it wants sanctions relief.
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World: The suspected sites were likely used for research, manufacturing, and storage of nerve agents like sarin, chlorine, and mustard gas. Some are believed to be hidden in caves or similar difficult-to-reach sites.

As many as 100 chemical weapons sites could still be existing in Syria, far more than the 27 sites initially declared by the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad when Damascus agreed to disarm in 2013, reveals a New York Times report based on the findings of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW, a treaty-based agency in The Hague with 193 member countries, is tasked with implementing the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Chemical weapons inspectors were taken to previously unseen production and storage locations, dating from the rule of Bashar al-Assad, by Syria’s caretaker government. The suspected sites were likely used for research, manufacturing, and storage of nerve agents like sarin, chlorine and mustard gas. Some are believed to be hidden in caves or similar difficult-to-reach sites, raising the risk that the dangerous stockpiles could fall into the hands of extremists and armed groups. Also Read | Iran’s top diplomat rejects offer for direct nuclear talks with US, calls it ‘meaningless’ An OPCW team visited Syria in March to prepare for the task of locating and destroying remnants of chemical weapons stockpile. They were taken to locations that had not been declared to OPCW by the Assad government. The team was given access to documents and details about Assad’s chemical weapons programme. “The Syrian caretaker authorities extended all possible support and cooperation,” the agency said in a summary of the visit posted online. The OPCW was provided security and had “unfettered access” to sites and people, in sharp contrast to the situation under Assad when Syrian officials used to stonewall OPCW inspectors. Also Read | Senior US official heads to Pakistan with focus on critical minerals deal Although the new leadership in Syria allowed OPCW to start its ground assessments and pledged to eliminate remaining weapons, some experts are still sceptical. “There are many locations that we don’t know about because the old regime was lying to the OPCW,” Raed al-Saleh of the Syria Civil Defence told the NYT. Moreover, Israeli airstrikes on some suspected facilities after Assad’s ouster may have destroyed key evidence, thwarting any bid to document violations. Israel says it struck suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile actors. Also Read | Sam Altman shares his AI-generated cricketer avatar in India jersey; internet sees biz strategy, roasts him Syria’s chemical weapons programme dates to the 1970s and involved hundreds of scientists, most of them trained in Europe. Despite official disarmament, watchdogs documented repeated use of banned substances till 2018 at least. Assad and his Russian backers always denied ever having used chemical weapons in the civil war that began in 2011 and left hundreds of thousands dead. Syria joined the agency under a U.S.-Russian deal after a 2013 sarin gas attack near Damascus killed hundreds. Around 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed. But it is still believed to have kept some of the weapons and was accused of using them again in the following years. Also Read | Pope Francis makes surprise public appearance at the Vatican The destruction of any remaining chemical weapons was among the conditions the United States imposed on Syria if it wants sanctions relief.

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