Security forces discovered an underground prison in the countryside of Homs, western Syria, which was reportedly used by the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad to detain civilians during the years of war, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The prison was found north of the village of Buwaydat al-Salamiyah in the Al-Mukharram area of eastern Homs, the agency reported.

Omar Al-Mousa, Deputy Director of the Al-Mukharram Area, explained that the prison was discovered about 10 days ago during police patrols conducting inspections and searching for locations suspected of being used for suspicious purposes in the area.