SAEDNEWS: Syrian rights groups have reported that forces loyal to Abu Mohammad al-Jolani have tortured dozens to death and buried their bodies in mass graves, even as Washington strengthens its alliance with Jolani’s US-backed administration in Damascus.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in its latest report that at least 59 detainees were killed under torture in prisons run by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s regime over the past 10 months.
The group documented deaths in several provinces, including Homs, Aleppo, Damascus and Tartus, where abuses were reportedly more severe than elsewhere.
It added that dozens of abductions and mass burials have been reported since Jolani consolidated control, with victims including civilians, former soldiers and ex-local officials.
Since taking power, Jolani’s so-called interim government has waged what observers describe as a systematic and brutal campaign of repression, targeting various religious sects and killing thousands of civilians, notably Alawites.
Amnesty International recently confirmed receiving credible information on the abduction and detention of 36 Alawite women and girls in Syria in recent months.
The UN Human Rights Office also warned of rising violence under Jolani’s rule, citing widespread reports of enforced disappearances.
Many families of the missing remain silent out of fear, the office said.
Meanwhile, Syria’s self-proclaimed president Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) arrived in the United States for an official visit aimed at securing US support, as Washington seeks to draw Damascus into its so-called coalition against Daesh (ISIL or ISIS).
His visit coincided with Syria’s Interior Ministry announcing a “large-scale security operation” targeting Daesh cells nationwide.
Al-Sharaa, whose militia forces ousted Bashar al-Assad last year, is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday.
US envoy Tom Barrack said al-Sharaa was expected to sign an agreement joining the US-led alliance against Daesh.
Reports from Reuters and AFP said Washington is preparing to establish a permanent military presence at a Damascus airbase to facilitate a security pact between Syria and Israel.
Analysts say the move would cement US influence over Syria’s fragile new power structure.
Al-Sharaa is also expected to seek financial aid for reconstruction, with the World Bank estimating recovery costs at more than $216 billion after 13 years of war.
Once the head of Syria’s al-Qaeda branch, al-Sharaa broke with the network years ago and later fought Daesh under the banner of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which Washington removed from its terror list in July.
His visit follows a high-profile appearance at the United Nations in September—his first on US soil—marking Washington’s growing willingness to legitimize a figure long accused of war crimes and repression.
