Maher al-Assad’s secret escape tunnels found under his former mansion

A network of tunnels equipped with living spaces has been found under Maher al-Assad’s former mansion - exposed after the bloodthirsty regime was toppled by rebels.

Secret escape tunnels used by the Assad family have been discovered after the bloodthirsty regime was toppled by Syrian rebel forces over the weekend.

A video allegedly captured inside Major General Maher al-Assad’s mansion reveals a white staircase leading down to a vast network of underground passages with sitting rooms, metal doors and bedrooms.

It was reportedly filmed by one of the rebels responsible for storming capital Damascus and looting the Assad homes over the weekend, The Sun reports.

The footage shows the tunnel complex with high arched ceilings, fluorescent lighting, electronic doors and huge rooms.

A fully kitted-out kitchen complete with Pepsi cans and Tetley tea, a modern sitting room and bathroom and discarded shopping bags can be seen in the clip. In the two-minute video, several boxes, documents and designer bags can be seen scattered around the empty hallways.

Maher al-Assad, brother to the now exiled President Assad – led a special unit of the Syrian Army and acted as major general during his family’s brutal regime.

The video was allegedly filmed underneath his mansion in Damascus.

It was captioned: “Massive tunnel complex beneath Maher Assad’s mansion, wide enough for trucks carrying Captagon and gold to drive through.”

The expansive passages have high ceilings and fluorescent lighting.

Abandoned shopping bags and gift boxes littered the floors. Picture: X

A sitting room complete with sofas and a coffee table was discovered in the tunnels. Picture: X

Huge rooms were uncovered in the passages - one was filled with discarded shopping bags. Picture: X

In one of the massive rooms the floor was littered with discarded shopping bags and gift boxes.

One appeared to hold a gold-encrusted wooden box.

Syrian rebels took down the government after 24 years of rule under President Bashar al-Assad – over a 10-day lightning blitz under top commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani, which saw the government’s forces withdraw and the fighters seize the key cities of Aleppo, Homs and the capital.

Assad fled the capital to Moscow in a plane on Sunday as ally and fellow despot Vladimir Putin offered him refuge.

Thousands of Syrians took to the streets in celebration, firing guns into the air, lighting flares, and waving the rebel flag.

Delighted fighters also posted footage from inside Assad’s presidential palace – celebrating his incredible downfall.

Footage allegedly shows the inside of the Assad family's secret underground tunnel network. Picture: X

A kitchen was ransacked in the secret passages. Picture: X

A gold encrusted box uncovered in the underground tunnels. Picture: X

Tea and coffee on the sideboards of the modern kitchen. Picture: X

The rebels ransacked the palace, going from room to room looting items of value.

One video showed scores of people raiding the cupboards while duvets and linen bed sheets are scattered over the floor.

Someone could be seen holding an orange Louis Vuitton box while others carried bags bulging with stolen items.

Dozens of Assad’s luxury vehicles were also seized after militants broke into his garage packed with Mercedes, Ferraris, and Audis.

Militants stormed and looted the Iranian embassy as well as the Italian embassy, while the Iraqi embassy was evacuated to Lebanon.

On Monday morning Syrian rebel forces announced via a televised statement that they had captured Damascus and ousted the Assad regime.

Leader Abu Mohammed al Jolani ordered his fighters to return to their bases from inside the Umayyad Mosque in the capital.

He dubbed the fall of Assad as “a victory to the Islamic nation”.

Meanwhile the US unleashed over 75 precision air strikes on the country to prevent Islamic terror group ISIS from grasping control.

The US has around 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the northeast, to prevent the resurgence of the terror cult there.

ISIS had created a caliphate across large parts of Syria after the civil war broke out 13 years ago, and at one point controlled a third of the country.

It has since lost a majority of its land and control in the area.

US President Joe Biden said: “We will remain vigilant.

“Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.”