Syrian government denies U.S. claim of crematorium at prison

[May 16, 2017]    BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian government on Tuesday denied U.S. accusations that a crematorium had been built at one of its prisons that could be used to dispose of detainees' remains, saying the claim was devoid of truth.

A satellite view of part of the Sednaya prison complex near Damascus, Syria is seen in a still image from a video briefing provided by the U.S. State Department on May 15, 2017. Department of State/Handout via REUTERS

A foreign ministry statement published by state news agency SANA said the U.S. administration had come out with "a new Hollywood story detached from reality" by alleging the crematorium had been built at Sednaya military prison near Damascus.

Stuart Jones, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, said on Monday that U.S. officials believe the crematorium could be used to dispose of bodies at a prison where they believe Assad's government authorized the mass hangings of thousands of inmates during Syria's six-year-old civil war.

(Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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