Body of 2-year-old girl found in rural Deraa four days after disappearance

BEIRUT, Lebanon — BEIRUT — A two-year-old girl, Farah al-Hammud, was found dead in an animal feed storage facility near her home in rural Deraa, southern Syria, on Monday morning, four days after she disappeared on Thursday, July 16. The child had gone missing within a few meters of her family. Her father told local media that the feed store had been searched repeatedly during the rescue effort but was only formally inspected days later, raising the possibility that the body had been moved. He said the original scene of the crime remains unclear. A forensic report cited advanced decomposition, exposed abdominal organs, head decay and severe bruising on the face, and listed the cause of death as suffocation caused by lack of oxygen. The father said the family has no firm evidence linking the killing to treasure or gold-digging, though groups carrying out excavations and uncovering long cisterns remain active in the area. Units affiliated with the Deraa Internal Security Command have detained several suspects in connection with the case. The family and local residents have called for those responsible to be identified quickly and handed over to the judicial authorities.