Assad, family granted asylum in Moscow: Russian state media
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow, Russian state media reported on Sunday, adding that Russia has granted them asylum, less than 24 hours after the collapse of the regime in Syria.
“Assad, along with members of his family, has arrived in Moscow. Russia, based on humanitarian considerations, has granted them asylum,” Russian state media TASS reported citing a Kremlin source.
It remains unknown when Assad fled Syria, however, the Syrian rebels led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Damascus early Sunday morning and announced the end of over five decades of Baathist rule, after 11 days of a blistering offensive.
Syria continues to grapple with instability and insecurity, as recent escalations have displaced thousands. The country, ravaged by a civil war that began in 2011 following uprisings against the now-dethroned Assad, has seen hundreds of thousands killed and millions left in need of humanitarian assistance.
After taking over Damascus, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani ordered his forces not to approach any official institutions in the capital and declared that these institutions will remain under the supervision of Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali until their official handover.
HTS is the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and the prominent force among dozens of rebel factions. The group has long controlled a rebel enclave in the northwestern province of Idlib. It has been internationally recognized as a terrorist organization.
“Assad, along with members of his family, has arrived in Moscow. Russia, based on humanitarian considerations, has granted them asylum,” Russian state media TASS reported citing a Kremlin source.
It remains unknown when Assad fled Syria, however, the Syrian rebels led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Damascus early Sunday morning and announced the end of over five decades of Baathist rule, after 11 days of a blistering offensive.
Syria continues to grapple with instability and insecurity, as recent escalations have displaced thousands. The country, ravaged by a civil war that began in 2011 following uprisings against the now-dethroned Assad, has seen hundreds of thousands killed and millions left in need of humanitarian assistance.
After taking over Damascus, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani ordered his forces not to approach any official institutions in the capital and declared that these institutions will remain under the supervision of Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali until their official handover.
HTS is the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and the prominent force among dozens of rebel factions. The group has long controlled a rebel enclave in the northwestern province of Idlib. It has been internationally recognized as a terrorist organization.