Assad Discloses His Departure Time from Damascus
Bashar Assad departed Syria one day after the capture of Damascus, contradicting previous claims that he had fled earlier, according to a statement. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The former Syrian leader who was removed from power has stated that he intended to continue fighting and did not seek refuge until after the capital had collapsed.
Exiled former Syrian leader Bashar Assad asserted that he remained in Damascus until the early hours of December 8, contrary to various reports that suggested he fled the country a day earlier.
In his first official statement since his ouster and departure earlier this month, Assad claimed on Monday that he only left Syria on the evening of December 8, noting that his original intention had been to keep battling rival forces.
Assad maintained that his exit from Syria “was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed.” He emphasized that he “did not consider stepping down or seeking refuge” until he believed all hope was lost.
Having governed Syria for nearly 25 years, Assad was overthrown this month when a coalition of armed opposition groups, primarily composed of Islamists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, captured Damascus in a swift offensive.
Assad indicated that he departed Damascus only after the initial groups of militants had “infiltrated” the capital and then moved to Latakia “in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations.”
However, upon reaching the Russian Hmeimim airbase, he reportedly found that “our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.”
He was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base on the evening of December 8. In his statement, Assad noted, “This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.”
Earlier this month, the Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Bashar al-Jaafari, criticized Assad’s departure as a “shameful and humiliating” abandonment of his country. The swift downfall of the Assad government, according to the diplomat, reflects its unpopularity among both the populace and the military.
Following back-channel discussions with unspecified armed groups, the former Syrian president reportedly agreed to step down and subsequently left the country, instructing officials to facilitate “a peaceful transfer of power,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Assad and his family were granted asylum in Russia.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Exiled former Syrian leader Bashar Assad asserted that he remained in Damascus until the early hours of December 8, contrary to various reports that suggested he fled the country a day earlier.
In his first official statement since his ouster and departure earlier this month, Assad claimed on Monday that he only left Syria on the evening of December 8, noting that his original intention had been to keep battling rival forces.
Assad maintained that his exit from Syria “was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed.” He emphasized that he “did not consider stepping down or seeking refuge” until he believed all hope was lost.
Having governed Syria for nearly 25 years, Assad was overthrown this month when a coalition of armed opposition groups, primarily composed of Islamists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, captured Damascus in a swift offensive.
Assad indicated that he departed Damascus only after the initial groups of militants had “infiltrated” the capital and then moved to Latakia “in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations.”
However, upon reaching the Russian Hmeimim airbase, he reportedly found that “our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.”
He was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base on the evening of December 8. In his statement, Assad noted, “This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.”
Earlier this month, the Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Bashar al-Jaafari, criticized Assad’s departure as a “shameful and humiliating” abandonment of his country. The swift downfall of the Assad government, according to the diplomat, reflects its unpopularity among both the populace and the military.
Following back-channel discussions with unspecified armed groups, the former Syrian president reportedly agreed to step down and subsequently left the country, instructing officials to facilitate “a peaceful transfer of power,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Assad and his family were granted asylum in Russia.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
