Revelations of the 'Exit Trap' Set by Assad's Regime for Yarmouk Camp Residents in 2014
A report outlines the tragic fate of over 1,500 individuals during a deadly encounter at 'Ali al-Wahsh Street'.
A report released by a Palestinian group has detailed the events surrounding the 'Ali al-Wahsh Massacre', which occurred in January 2014 in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus.
The incident resulted in the disappearance of more than 1,500 people, including children and women, with only 11 individuals reportedly surviving.
The report, titled 'The Road of Death' and spanning 103 pages, highlights one of the most horrific crimes committed during the Syrian conflict.
It accuses the former Syrian government forces and their allied militias of committing serious violations that amount to crimes against humanity.
Since July 2013, a tight siege had been imposed by the Syrian regime on Yarmouk and surrounding areas, leading to widespread famine that claimed hundreds of lives.
On the morning of January 5, 2014, rumors circulated regarding the opening of a 'humanitarian corridor' along 'Ali al-Wahsh Street'.
This prompted large numbers of trapped civilians from Yarmouk and nearby towns, such as Yalda, Beit Sahm, and areas like Hajar al-Aswad, to flock to the corridor in hopes of escaping the siege.
However, the path turned into a deadly trap set by the regime and its affiliated militias, where civilians were subjected to arrest, torture, and systematic execution.
The 'Ali al-Wahsh checkpoint' was controlled by the group 'Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas', composed of Iraqi elements loyal to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Syrian regime at the time.
Civilians were reportedly given small amounts of food by the checkpoint personnel, which misled more residents into gathering at the site.
By 10 a.m., personnel at the checkpoint began separating young men from children, women, and the elderly.
Subsequently, regime forces bombed the areas where the civilians had congregated, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
According to the report and testimonies collected by the group, checkpoint personnel forced civilians to destroy their identification documents, either by burning or breaking them.
Women were reportedly sent back to Yalda after being beaten, while more than 1,200 civilians, including seniors, women, and infants, were detained and held in storage facilities and commercial shops.
The report features accounts from several survivors, including Mariam Suwaydani, who lost her husband and two children in the incident.
She recounted how civilians were beaten and humiliated, highlighting the separation of men from women and children before their detention.
Reports of sexual assaults and brutal torture emerged, including the execution of an infant in front of its mother and the burning of victim bodies.
The report calls on the international community to acknowledge its responsibilities regarding these crimes, hold the perpetrators accountable, and seek justice for the victims and their families.
It also emphasizes the urgent need to address the fate of the missing individuals and ensure the rights of their families.
This report emerges eleven years after the massacre, aiming to break the silence and draw attention to the suffering of the victims.
It documents crimes believed to have been committed under the direct supervision of the Syrian regime forces and their allied militias, according to the team that compiled the report.
The incident resulted in the disappearance of more than 1,500 people, including children and women, with only 11 individuals reportedly surviving.
The report, titled 'The Road of Death' and spanning 103 pages, highlights one of the most horrific crimes committed during the Syrian conflict.
It accuses the former Syrian government forces and their allied militias of committing serious violations that amount to crimes against humanity.
Since July 2013, a tight siege had been imposed by the Syrian regime on Yarmouk and surrounding areas, leading to widespread famine that claimed hundreds of lives.
On the morning of January 5, 2014, rumors circulated regarding the opening of a 'humanitarian corridor' along 'Ali al-Wahsh Street'.
This prompted large numbers of trapped civilians from Yarmouk and nearby towns, such as Yalda, Beit Sahm, and areas like Hajar al-Aswad, to flock to the corridor in hopes of escaping the siege.
However, the path turned into a deadly trap set by the regime and its affiliated militias, where civilians were subjected to arrest, torture, and systematic execution.
The 'Ali al-Wahsh checkpoint' was controlled by the group 'Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas', composed of Iraqi elements loyal to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Syrian regime at the time.
Civilians were reportedly given small amounts of food by the checkpoint personnel, which misled more residents into gathering at the site.
By 10 a.m., personnel at the checkpoint began separating young men from children, women, and the elderly.
Subsequently, regime forces bombed the areas where the civilians had congregated, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
According to the report and testimonies collected by the group, checkpoint personnel forced civilians to destroy their identification documents, either by burning or breaking them.
Women were reportedly sent back to Yalda after being beaten, while more than 1,200 civilians, including seniors, women, and infants, were detained and held in storage facilities and commercial shops.
The report features accounts from several survivors, including Mariam Suwaydani, who lost her husband and two children in the incident.
She recounted how civilians were beaten and humiliated, highlighting the separation of men from women and children before their detention.
Reports of sexual assaults and brutal torture emerged, including the execution of an infant in front of its mother and the burning of victim bodies.
The report calls on the international community to acknowledge its responsibilities regarding these crimes, hold the perpetrators accountable, and seek justice for the victims and their families.
It also emphasizes the urgent need to address the fate of the missing individuals and ensure the rights of their families.
This report emerges eleven years after the massacre, aiming to break the silence and draw attention to the suffering of the victims.
It documents crimes believed to have been committed under the direct supervision of the Syrian regime forces and their allied militias, according to the team that compiled the report.