Syrian rebels burn tomb of Assad’s father

KABUL (Pajhwok): The tomb of late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar al-Assad, has been burnt in the family's hometown, says a media report.

In a video, the BBC said on Thursday, gunmen were seen walking around the mausoleum in Qardaha, in the north-west of the coastal Latakia region.

The Assad dynasty's 54-year rule came to an end last week when the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led fighters swept across the oil-rich country.

Following the lightning rebel offensive, Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow, where he and his family have been granted asylum.

To the delight of long-oppressed Syrians, statues and posters of Hafez and his son Bashar have been torn down across the country.

Separately, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the US, Israel and an unnamed neighbour of Syria of supporting the toppling of the Assad regime.

Hafez al-Assad ruled the country with an iron fist from 1971 until his death in 2000, when his son replaced him.

PAN Monitor/mud