Mysterious tunnels with unopened safes found beneath Assad's brother’s mansion PHOTO

Hidden beneath the summer residence of Maher Assad, the brother of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a complex network of tunnels has been uncovered, revealing secret safes and heavily armoured rooms, some of which remain sealed.

Captured by Anadolu’s camera crew, the mansion, perched on a hill overlooking Damascus near the Beirut-Damascus highway, has been described as a fortress, per Caliber.Az.

The three-story residence, surrounded by towering walls, also features a helipad in its expansive courtyard.

Inside, the mansion is as imposing as it is secretive. The first floor hosts a parking lot and a conference room, but it’s the basement that holds the true intrigue. An armoured door leads down 22 steps into a passageway, which then opens up to a tunnel system. This recreational tunnel is just a small part of a much larger underground network, stretching deep into the property.

The tunnels, which include fully-equipped rooms with wiring, ventilation, and amenities such as bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom, are protected by armoured doors. Some of the rooms hold empty safes and luxury watch displays, hinting at the wealth once sheltered beneath the mansion. However, two of the tunnel rooms remain locked, their contents still a mystery.

A branch of the tunnel network extends about 3 kilometres, leading to the headquarters of the 4th Armored Division, the elite military unit once commanded by Maher Assad. Vehicle entrances to the tunnels are also visible along the Syria-Lebanon highway, further suggesting the complex’s military significance.

Fayez Mohammed, one of the mansion's guards, revealed that Maher Assad used the residence both as a retreat and as an office. He also confirmed that documents tied to the 4th Armored Division, including Maher Assad’s orders and correspondence, were stored within the tunnels.

The discovery of the mansion’s underground secrets adds another layer of mystery to the collapse of the Assad regime, which ended on December 8, 2024, after a decisive offensive led by opposition forces. The capture of Damascus marked the end of the Assad family's authoritarian rule, which had lasted since Hafez al-Assad’s rise to power in 1971.

As the rebel coalition moved in on the capital, it was reported that Bashar al-Assad fled Syria for Russia, where he joined his family in exile. The end of Assad’s reign was confirmed both by the opposition and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cementing the fall of a regime that had shaped Syria’s political landscape for decades.

By Tamilla Hasanova