PhotoWASHINGTON — The State Department released satellite images on Monday that officials said showed that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has built a crematory at a military prison outside Damascus to hide a large number of executions. Officials also said that a discharge stack, and architectural elements thought to be a firewall and air intake, were consistent with a crematory. Mr. Jones said that prisoners had in the past been buried in mass graves, but that a crematory could dispose of bodies without leaving evidence behind. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Amnesty International recently reported that, since 2011, thousands of civilians had been executed in mass hangings at the prison, some carried out at night in an attempt to maintain secrecy.

Source: New York Times May 15, 2017 17:24 UTC