'Operation Move Earth': How ousted Syrian leader Assad relocated a mass grave; what was the purpose?

The Assad government carried out a secret two-year operation to move thousands of bodies from one of Syria’s largest known mass graves to a hidden site in the remote desert, Reuters has found.

The operation, called “Operation Move Earth,” moved bodies from a grave in Qutayfah to a new grave in the Dhumair desert. It ran from 2019 to 2021 and had not been reported before. Reuters spoke with 13 people involved, reviewed documents, and analyzed hundreds of satellite images to uncover the operation.

“It was meant to cover up the Assad government’s crimes and help restore its image,” witnesses said.

Six to eight trucks filled with dirt and human remains traveled from Qutayfah to Dhumair nearly every night for more than two years. Witnesses included truckers, mechanics, a bulldozer operator, and a former officer from Assad’s Republican Guard. They vividly recalled the stench and the scale of the operation.



“No one would disobey the orders,” said one driver. “You yourself might end up in the holes.”

By the time Assad fell late last year, all 16 trenches documented at Qutayfah had been emptied. At least 34 trenches, each about 2 kilometers long, now exist at Dhumair, suggesting tens of thousands of bodies could be buried there.

“There is a bleeding wound as long as there are mothers waiting to find the graves of their sons, wives waiting to find the graves of their husbands, and children waiting to find the graves of their fathers,” said Raed al-Saleh, Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management.

The Qutayfah grave had been used since 2012 to bury soldiers and prisoners who died in Assad’s prisons and military hospitals. Its existence was revealed in 2014 by a Syrian human rights activist, and its precise location later came to light through court testimony and media reports.

The operation began in late 2018 when Assad was nearing victory in the civil war. “The dictator was hoping to regain international recognition after being sidelined by years of sanctions and allegations of brutality,” a former Republican Guard officer said.

Two truckers and the officer said they were told the transfer was meant to clear out Qutayfah and hide evidence of mass killings.

With more than 160,000 people believed to have disappeared under Assad, the new mass graves highlight one of Syria’s most painful crises. “Piecing these bodies together so complete remains can be returned to families will be extremely complicated,” said Mohamed Al Abdallah, head of the Syria Justice and Accountability Center.

The new government in Syria has announced plans to create a DNA bank and a digital platform for families of the missing, but authorities say the number of victims and the need to rebuild the justice system make the work difficult.

Reuters has not revealed the exact location of the Dhumair site to prevent tampering, and a detailed special report on the investigation will be released soon.