Syria’s deposed President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia after being granted asylum by the country’s authorities, Russian news agencies report.
The Interfax, TASS and Ria Novosti news quoting sources said Assad arrived in Russia alongside his family having been granted asylum on “humanitarian grounds”.
Assad was earlier reported to have fled Damascus in a plane to an unknown location after Syrian rebels toppled his government on Sunday morning,
Reacting to the development, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that he was not sure where al-Assad was but that “there is word he is in Moscow”.
“The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” Biden added.
The recent development marked the end of over two decades of al-Assad’s family rule and a devastating 13-year conflict.
The Syrian war which began in March 2011 as a peaceful uprising against Assad’s regime soon escalated into a brutal conflict, leading to the death of hundreds of thousands while millions became refugees.
Despite Russia’s longstanding support for Assad and military intervention in 2015 that shifted the tide of the war in his favour, Russian officials are now engaging with Syrian opposition leaders.
According to TASS, opposition leaders have assured the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions within Syria.
Biden Reacts As Russia Grants Asylum To Syria’s Deposed President is first published on The Whistler Newspaper