The developments in Syria with the end of an era being written after the capture of Damascus by the rebels and the “disappearance” of Bashar al-Assad.
Rumors have intensified about the whereabouts of the until yesterday president of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, and whether he is alive or dead. Information that has been circulated but not cross-referenced indicates that an aircraft possibly carrying Assad departed Syria but was lost to radar over the city of Homs. The rebels claimed to have shot it down but the news has not been confirmed.
Assad reportedly boarded a Syrian Air Force Ilyushin-76, which hurriedly departed Damascus International Airport, turned toward Homs, lost altitude and disappeared from radar.
Last night we tracked a Ilyushin Il-76T flight over Syria.
The flight took off from Damascus and the signal was lost near the city of Homs.
* We can confirm that flight took place.
* The aircraft was old with an older transponder generation, so some data might be bad or… pic.twitter.com/uCGUnVeug0— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 8, 2024
Syrian rebels have declared the capital Damascus “liberated” after entering the city despite minimal resistance from regime forces.
Assad’s ouster ends more than 50 years of autocratic rule by his family in the nation of about 23 million, which has been scarred and divided by more than a decade of civil war.
Meanwhile, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said the government was ready “to work with whatever leadership the people choose.” Video shows him accompanied by armed men.
Extraordinary – opposition fighters from #Dara are escorting #Syria’s Prime Minister out of his office & to the Four Seasons Hotel, in a move intended to symbolize the transfer of power & removal of #Assad regime rule. pic.twitter.com/am0tT6cbl1
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) December 8, 2024
The presidential palace has been taken over by the rebels and videos posted on social media show images from inside.
Assad’s palace in Damascus has been taken over pic.twitter.com/QZoE2162eP
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 8, 2024
At the same time the Israeli armed forces announced that they are deploying forces in the safe zone with Syria controlled by the UN, as well as in a number of points necessary for defense in light of the latest events in the Arab country. Jordan also underlined today the importance of safeguarding Syria’s stability and security, the state news agency reported, after President Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus and rebels seized control of the capital, ending his 24-year rule. Jordan added that strengthening security in the region is “under consideration”, the agency reported.
Moreover, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates stated today that non-state actors should not be allowed to have the opportunity to exploit political loopholes.
“The ongoing events in Syria are also a clear indication of the failure of politics and the destructive nature of conflict and chaos,” Anwar Gargas said at the Manama Dialogue security forum in the Bahraini capital.
The main concerns for us are the territorial integrity of Syria, which is still under threat, as well as extremism and terrorism, added Gargas, who pointed out that Assad did not use the “lifeline” offered to him by various Arab countries, the Emirates including, who in recent years sought to reconcile with the Syrian government.
The rapid collapse of the Syrian government is partly due to the political failure of the Assad regime, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates stressed.
Trump: Assad ‘did it’ as he lost Russia’s support
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has “fled” Syria after losing the support of his patron Russia, US President-elect Donald Trump has claimed via his platform, Truth Social.
“Assad is no longer here. He fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, was no longer willing to protect him,” Trump, who takes office on January 20, wrote.
According to him, Russia “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where almost 600,000 Russian soldiers have been injured or killed in a war that should never have started and could last forever.”
“Russia and Iran are currently weakened, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its successes in battle,” Trump added.