Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad says he by no means supposed to flee to Russia – in what’s presupposed to be his first assertion because the fall of Damascus eight days in the past.
Assad’s reported assertion was placed on the Telegram channel belonging to the Syrian presidency on Monday, though it isn’t clear who at present controls it – or whether or not he wrote it.
In it he says that, because the Syrian capital fell to rebels, he went to a Russian navy base in Latakia province “to supervise fight operations” solely to see that Syrian troops had deserted positions.
Hmeimim airbase had additionally come underneath “intensified assault by drone strikes” and the Russians had determined to airlift him to Moscow, he says.
Within the assertion – printed each in Arabic and English – the previous Syrian chief reportedly describes what occurred on 8 December – and the way he was apparently besieged on the Russian base.
“With no viable technique of leaving the bottom, Moscow requested that the bottom’s command prepare a right away evacuation to Russia on the night of Sunday eighth December,” the assertion reads.
“This happened a day after the autumn of Damascus, following the collapse of the ultimate navy positions and the ensuing paralysis of all remaining state establishments.”
The assertion provides that “at no level throughout these occasions did I think about stepping down or searching for refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any particular person or social gathering”.
“When the state falls into the arms of terrorism and the power to make a significant contribution is misplaced, any place turns into void of function,” it says.
Assad was nowhere to be seen as Syrian cities and provinces fell to rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) inside a interval of 12 days.
Nevertheless, hypothesis mounted that he had fled the nation as even his prime minister was not in a position to contact him through the insurgent sweep into Damascus.
On 9 December, Russian media introduced that he had been given asylum there – although there has not been any official affirmation.
The Syrian insurgent teams are persevering with to type a transitional authorities.
HTS, Syria’s strongest insurgent group, was arrange underneath a special identify, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011 and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the next 12 months.
Al-Nusra broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and later took the identify HTS when it merged with different factions. Nevertheless, the UN, US, UK and various different international locations proceed to designate it as a terrorist group.
Its chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, who beforehand used the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has pledged tolerance for various non secular teams and communities. However his group’s jihadist previous has left some doubting whether or not it’ll reside as much as such guarantees.
