Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reportedly arrived in Moscow with his family on Sunday, after rebels captured the capital Damascus on Sunday morning. This was reported by the DPA and AP agencies with reference to the Russian media.
“Russia granted them asylum for humanitarian reasons,” Russian TASS agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
There was no information about Assad’s whereabouts during Sunday. The Reuters agency, citing data from the Flightradar website, reported that a plane took off from Damascus airport in the morning and first flew towards the coastal region of Syria, but then made a turn and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes. Subsequently, it disappeared from the radar screen.
Syrian sources therefore pointed out in the early afternoon the high probability that Assad lost his life. However, they also admitted that the crew could only turn off the transponder. At the time, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it did not know where the ousted president was.
Moscow was one of the most important military supporters of Assad in the fight against rebel forces. It has an air and naval base established in Syria.
The independent Russian portal Meduza, citing a source from the Ria Novosti agency, said that Russian officials are in contact with the leaders of Syrian rebel groups, who allegedly guaranteed security for Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions.
There was no information about Assad’s whereabouts during Sunday. Reuters, citing data from the Flightradar website, reported that a plane took off from Damascus airport in the morning and first flew towards the coastal region of Syria, but then made a U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes. Subsequently, it disappeared from the radar screen.
Syrian sources therefore warned in the early afternoon of the high probability that Assad lost his life. However, they also admitted that the crew could only turn off the transponder. At the time, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it did not know where the ousted president was.
Moscow was one of the most important military supporters of Assad in the fight against rebel forces. It has an air and naval base established in Syria.
The independent Russian portal Meduza, citing a source from the Ria Novosti agency, said that Russian officials are in contact with the leaders of Syrian rebel groups, who allegedly guaranteed security for Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions.
