Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad flees to Moscow, Russia following overthrow of capital city of Damascus by insurgents

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Sunday, December 8, 2024

On Sunday, Russian state media reported that unnamed Kremlin sources said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad had fled the country and was receiving asylum in the Russian capital of Moscow, along with his family. This came after the fall of Damascus, Syria’s capital city, to insurgents on Saturday. Assad’s whereabouts had previously been unknown.

According to Axios (website), the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed Assad voluntarily resigned from office and directed the Syrian Prime Minister to oversee a smooth transfer of authority.

The Associated Press reported that the news of Assad’s ousting was met with celebration in the streets of Syrian cities, where some fired shots into the air to mark the leader’s downfall. Insurgency leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani made an appearance in front of a crowd of merrymakers at a Damascus mosque, where he declared “this victory is for all Syrians.”

Russian government officials said that they have been in contact with the leaders of the insurgent group, making negotiations regarding the well-being of Russian military personnel present in Syria.

Although many western leaders voiced their approval for the end of Assad’s regime, some, such as US president Joe Biden expressed concern over the potential for further destabilization in the region. The US said its military forces executed approximately dozens of airstrikes against Syria on Sunday.

Syria has been racked with civil war since 2011. Russia is a longtime strategic ally and supporter of the Syrian leader, who came into power in July 2000.