The Russian Foreign Ministry mentioned on Sunday afternoon that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left workplace and departed the nation after giving orders there be a peaceable handover of energy.
In an announcement, the ministry didn’t say the place Assad was now and mentioned Russia had not taken half within the talks about his departure.
Just minutes earlier than Russia introduced Assad’s alleged departure, a transport aircraft took off from a Russian airfield in Latakia, Syria.
This assertion comes as varied reviews emerged on Sunday relating to the whereabouts of Assad after the autumn of his regime earlier within the day.
US President-elect Donald Trump famous that Assad had escaped the nation in a submit on the Truth social media platform.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his nation. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not concerned about defending him any longer,” he wrote.
A senior Israeli official advised Walla that after reportedly leaving Damascus, Assad had flown to the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base in Syria.
The official prompt that Assad might have meant to journey onward to Moscow, although there is no such thing as a affirmation at this stage that he has left Syria.
A senior American official additionally confirmed to Walla that the US had tracked Assad’s departure from Damascus, including, “We believed he was planning to fly to Russia.”
The United Arab Emirates diplomatic advisor to the president mentioned on Sunday that Syria isn’t out of the woods but, and extremism and terrorism stay a important concern, including that he didn’t know whether or not or not Bashar al-Assad was within the UAE.
“I do not know,” Anwar Gargash advised reporters on the sidelines of the Manama Security dialogue in Bahrain when requested if Assad was within the UAE.
Gargash additionally mentioned Assad had not used the ‘lifeline’ supplied to him by varied Arab international locations earlier than, together with the UAE.
Further particulars relating to the aim of the journey stay unclear.
Two senior military officers conversant in the incident advised Reuters that Assad had boarded a aircraft and had left for an unknown vacation spot.
A Syrian Air aircraft took off from Damascus airport across the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels, in line with information from the Flightradar web site.
The plane initially flew in the direction of Syria’s coastal area, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, however then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the other way for a couple of minutes earlier than disappearing off the map.
Rebel forces have declared Damascus ‘free’
CNN reported that insurgent forces in Syria have declared Damascus “free,” claiming Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital, in line with an announcement on Sunday.
“We declare the town of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad,” the Military Operations Command wrote in a submit on Telegram.
“To the displaced all around the world, a free Syria awaits you,” the assertion added.
