Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was forced to flee the country on Sunday after rebels seized control of the capital Damascus, ending his 24-year rule. News that the rebels had entered Damascus sparked speculation about the fate of the 59-year-old leader, who for years has relied on allies such as Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to maintain power. It has increased.
It was initially reported that he had boarded a plane to an unknown destination in Damascus early Sunday morning. Reuters reported that a Syrian plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reportedly captured by rebels.
The plane initially flew toward the Syrian coastal region, home to Assad’s Alawite sect and home to two major Russian military bases, but then made an abrupt U-turn, flew in the opposite direction for several minutes, and then disappeared from the map. Gone.
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Reuters, citing two Syrian intelligence sources, said the sudden change in course and the plane’s disappearance from tracking could indicate it was shot down or its transponder was switched off. It was not clear who was on board.
However, after more than 12 hours of speculation, it was reported that Assad was in Moscow with his family and Russia had granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds.
“Breaking news! Bashar al-Assad and his family in Moscow. Russia will not betray its friends even in difficult circumstances,” Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, said on his Telegram message channel. Ta.
Last week, Assad’s allies Iran and Russia also asked their nationals to leave Syria, citing the deteriorating security situation.
Bashar al-Assad’s government collapsed 11 days after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged his family’s more than 50-year rule in a lightning attack.
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The rebels began their operation on November 27, the same day a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah members in neighboring Lebanon, and quickly captured the main cities of Aleppo and Hama. It then took control of Damascus on Sunday, ending Assad’s regime.
