Moscow: In his first statement since being ousted from power, Bashar al-Assad described his last hours in Syria, revealing that he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base on December 8 as it came under a drone attack. He had left Damascus earlier that day with rebel forces closing in.
The statement, dated December 16 from Moscow where Assad has been granted asylum, was published on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel. His departure followed a swift offensive by insurgent forces, including the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which toppled his government and ended over 50 years of rule by the Assad family.
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that he continued his duties until the early hours of Dec. 8, leaving for Russia only after it became clear that all battle lines had fallen https://t.co/rMgUw7qYB4 pic.twitter.com/5anelbOp5I
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 17, 2024
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual party,” Assad wrote in his statement, which provided a detailed account of his departure from Syria. He clarified that he had remained in Damascus until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, continuing his duties.
“As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations,” Assad said. But upon his arrival at the Russian air base in Hmeimim, “it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.”
The statement further explained that the Russian military base came “under intensified attack by drone strikes,” and with no feasible means of leaving the base, Moscow requested immediate evacuation arrangements to Russia.
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On December 9, the Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had decided to grant Assad asylum in Russia, following Moscow’s military intervention in Syria in 2015 to support Assad’s regime against the rebels.
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Reuters reported last week that Assad shared his plans to leave Syria with very few people, keeping aides, officials, and even relatives largely in the dark. More than a dozen individuals familiar with the situation confirmed that much of his inner circle was deceived about the escape plan.
