Syria's Abu Mohammed al-Golani vows to punish those responsible for torture under Assad

The main commander of the fighters who toppled Bashar al-Assad has said he would hunt down anyone involved in the torture or killing of detainees during the ousted Syrian president's rule, dissolve the security forces of the former regime and close its prisons. "We will pursue them in Syria, and we ask countries to hand over those who fled so we can achieve justice," Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani said in a statement published on the Syrian state TV's Telegram channel. Thousands scour prison for loved ones with no luck Since Assad's fall, 27-year-old Hayat al-Turki has been searching the abandoned cells of Syria's most notorious prison, the vast Sednaya complex, for any sign of her missing relatives, including her brother who vanished 14 years ago. "It's our duty to do everything to support different Syrian leaders in order to make sure that they come together, they are able to guarantee a smooth transition," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said In addition to terrorism bans in place against the former rebels, Syria also remains under US, European and other financial sanctions imposed against Damascus under Assad. Hafez al-Assad mausoleum torched A resident of Assad's family hometown of Qardaha said Sunni Islamist fighters had torched the mausoleum of Assad's father Hafez over the past two days, instilling fear among villagers from Assad's Alawite sect who had pledged cooperation with the new rulers.