Syria’s authorities announced late Tuesday the discovery of a mass grave in the eastern province of Latakia, the latest in a series of grim findings that reflect the legacy of the Assad regime's decades-old campaign of repression that left tens of thousands dead or missing.

What happened: The head of Internal Security Forces in Latakia, Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz Hilal al-Ahmed, said in a statement carried by the Syrian Interior Ministry that units were deployed in the vicinity of the Bustan al-Basha village, north of Jableh city in Latakia’s countryside, after receiving intelligence information of the presence of a mass grave in the area.

The remains of nine unidentified bodies were found in a large pit on a farm owned by Hassan Youssef Younes, a former air force pilot in the ousted Assad regime. Civil defense teams recovered the bodies while an investigation was initiated.

“The Internal Security Command stressed that it will continue to diligently and responsibly address such cases, to unveil the truth and strengthen security and stability in Latakia province,” Ahmed vowed.