Syrian rebellion: Assad patriarch’s coffin torched in latest blow to dictator dynasty
With a look of satisfaction on their faces, rebel Syrian fighters watch the burning coffin of ousted president Bashar al- Assad’s late father.
After ending 50 years of the family’s barbaric rule on Sunday, the insurgents are determined to destroy every physical reminder of the Assad dynasty.
Yesterday they raided the family’s vast tomb in Qardaha, their ancestral home in the western province of Latakia, smashing its ornate decorations and reducing large parts to ashes.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The final resting place of Assad’s father and predecessor Hafez, who died in 2000, his mother Anisa and oldest brother Bassel were torched.
One man at the scene, Tarek Nassif, said he wanted “to take a look at these filthy people, because they oppressed the entire Syrian people”.
Another local, Mohammad Nassif, added: “We came and saw it be burnt and destroyed by the people of his village because he starved them, because they hated him, and because he destroyed us, he displaced them and displaced us.”
Meanwhile, shops and businesses started to re-open in Damascus after a rebel-imposed curfew was lifted.
Among them was the famous Bakdash icecream shop, which sells a traditional dessert made with pistachio and was reportedly bustling.
Other cafes and restaurants appeared to be doing a brisk trade as the city started to get back to normal after last week’s dramatic events.
