Inside Syria’s notorious Palestine Branch: Tales of torture and fear
Al Jazeera
Palestine Branch targeted rebellious neighbourhoods in Damascus during the early stages of the Syrian revolution.
Damascus, Syria – “Palestine Branch”, also known as Branch 235, is an intelligence-run prison in Syria that everyone in the country feared and loathed.
Established in 1969, the notorious building on the southern outskirts of Damascus became known for systematic torture by the Syrian regime against its opponents and the close eye it kept on its own people.
The branch rose in the 1980s, expanding from its initial mandate of monitoring Palestinian groups and all matters concerning Palestine, it took on more and more files until it was handling more than any other branch and became widely known for its brutal torture methods and inhumane conditions.
During the early stages of the Syrian revolution, the branch was said to specifically target residents of Damascus’s southern districts, especially al-Midan, al-Qadam, Dafshok, and the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp.
Outside Palestine Branch, military trucks were parked haphazardly, mattresses, documents and pictures scattered on the floor along with military uniforms and boots left behind.
Ukrainian soldiers say Russia is waging fierce battles in the east while they attempt a renewed offensive in Kursk.
South Africa’s military has enhanced border operations along the Limpopo River to halt smugglers and illegal crossings.
The White House is to send $95m to Lebanon, citing regional security, while eyeing human rights concerns in Egypt, Reuters reports.
OCHA chief says attacks by Israeli troops and Palestinian groups stifling bid to save lives in war-torn enclave.
Rescue efforts are under way after the earthquake hits Tibet, with tremors felt as far as Nepal, India and Bhutan.
Washington opens the way for transactions needed for humanitarian purposes, in a move seen as an ‘important step’ towards easing the West’s sanctions regime on the country.
Rescue operations still under way as nine others remain trapped in flooded Assam coal mine.
Indonesia joins Russia, China and others in the group, which is viewed as a counterweight to the West.
England’s cricket board proposes an ‘ICC-wide’ response against Afghanistan over the Taliban’s crackdown on women in response to the MPs’ letter.
New intermediate-range hypersonic missile made with lighter materials, making it more lethal at penetrating enemy defences, Pyongyang says.
Here are the key developments on the 1,048th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.