A Reuters investigation revealed that the Syrian government secretly moved tens of thousands of bodies from a mass grave in Qutayfah to a desert location in Dumayr, Damascus province, between 2019 and 2021. This operation aimed to conceal evidence of industrial-scale killings carried out in prisons and security centers, according to the report published on October 14th, 2025. The extensive operation involved unearthing 34 trenches stretching nearly two kilometers. The exact coordinates of the new burial site are being kept confidential to prevent interference, but Syrian authorities have been officially notified. This clandestine relocation occurred after the Assad government reclaimed rebel-held areas in central and southern Syria in 2018, as it sought to restore its international legitimacy. The investigation, described as exclusive and on-the-ground, uncovered the deliberate effort to hide evidence of alleged atrocities. The move of bodies from Qutayfah to the Dumayr desert was undertaken to erase traces of killings that occurred in the nation's detention facilities.
