The Syrian government has built a crematorium near a prison to cover up "mass atrocities," a State Department official said Monday, according to a CNN report.
"Although the regime's many atrocities are well-documented, we believe the building of a crematorium is an effort to cover up the extent of mass atrocities taking place in Saydnaya prison," said Stuart Jones, acting assistant secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
The official said the atrocities were committed with Russia's "seemingly unconditional support." The Syrian regime could be killing as many as 50 detainees each day, according to the report.
Jones would not comment on any plans the U.S. might have to get involved.
"We're not going to signal what we're going to do and what we're not going to do," he said, according to CNN's report.
The Russian government has said they want find a solution to the Syrian crisis; however, "there is no solution without an end to these atrocities," Jones said.
The intelligence community and local non-governmental groups helped find evidence about the crematorium. Jones presented aerial photos he said showed the crematorium being built, according to CNN.
The New York Times reported the roof of the building suspected to be the crematorium has no snow on it, while nearby buildings are covered with snow — which suggests a heat source inside the building.
Another round of negotiations about the Syrian crisis is to begin Tuesday in Geneva, according to the Times.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.