FAMILIES SEARCH FOR THEIR LOVED ONES IN SAYDNAYA JAIL BASEMENT, DUNGEONS

SYRIAN rescuers searched a jail synonymous with the worst atrocities of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's rule, as people in the capital flocked to a central square to celebrate their country's freedom.

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On Monday, rescuers from the Syrian White Helmets group said they were searching for potential secret doors or basements in Saydnaya prison, though they said there was no immediate sign that anyone was trapped.

"We are working with all our energy to reach a new hope, and we must be prepared for the worst," the organisation said in a statement, urging families of the missing to have "patience".