Opponents of ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad set fire to the mausoleum of his father and former dictator, Hafez Assad, in the town of Qardaha, the French AFP news agency reported Wednesday.
The report followed the circulation of online videos showing the site engulfed in flames, while a rebel waved the Syrian opposition flag and shouted without visible joy.
Syrian rebels torch tomb of Hafez Assad in act of 'vengeance'
A rebel-affiliated news outlet claimed the act was carried out as "vengeance" for the thousands of victims attributed to the Assad regime.
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Hafez Assad, who ruled Syria for three decades until his death in 2000, was buried in his hometown of Qardaha, located in Latakia province, a stronghold of the Alawite Muslim sect to which the Assad family belongs. The site also contains the graves of other family members, including Bashar Assad's brother, Bassel Assad, who died in a car crash in 1994.
Bassel had been designated as Hafez Assad's successor, but after his death, Bashar was recalled from his ophthalmology studies in the UK to prepare for a future role as Syria’s leader.
The mausoleum had served as a pilgrimage site for members of the Alawite community.