Syrian Rebels Overthrow Assad, Who Flees to Russia

Описание: Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and six decades of his family's autocratic rule.
In one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations, the fall of Assad's government wiped out a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Moscow gave him and his family asylum, Russian state media said.
His sudden overthrow, at the hands of a revolt partly backed by Turkey and with roots in jihadist Sunni Islam, limits Iran's ability to spread weapons to its allies and could cost Russia its Mediterranean naval base. It may pave the way for millions of refugees scattered for more than a decade in camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to finally return home.
For Syrians, it brought a sudden unexpected end to a war in deep freeze for years, with hundreds of thousands dead, cities pounded to dust and an economy hollowed out by global sanctions.
Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russian media said Sunday, hours after a stunning rebel advance seized control of Damascus and ended his family’s 50 years of iron rule.
Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire and waved the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war.
The swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Crowds gathered in Damascus on Sunday to celebrate with chants, prayers and the occasional gunfire after the stunning advance from opposition forces put an end to the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
President Bashar Assad and other officials left Syria, after resigning and hosting negotiations with rebel groups, Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday. Hours later, Russian state media news agencies reported that Assad and his family were in Moscow and given asylum.
The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. CBS News could not immediately verify the reports.
Russian news reports say that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family arrived in Moscow Sunday, after a stunning rebel advance through Syria forced him flee.
The Russian media reports said the Assad family was granted asylum. Russia has been a close ally of Assad.
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is believed to have fled the country his family has ruled over for 50 years as rebels said they had captured the capital after a lightning advance completed in just under two weeks.
Two senior Syrian officers told Reuters that Assad had fled Damascus, his destination unknown. The report could not be independently verified.
The senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash declined to say whether Assad was fleeing to the United Arab Emirates.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled to Russia after being overthrown by rebel forces in a stunning offensive that culminated in the capture of Damascus on December 8, 2024. This marks the end of the Assad family's 50-year rule in Syria.
The rapid advance by opposition fighters led to widespread celebrations in the capital, with crowds taking to the streets to chant anti-Assad slogans and rejoice in their newfound freedom. Syrian state television confirmed that all prisoners had been released following Assad's ousting.
Reports indicate that Assad and his family were granted asylum in Moscow after negotiations with rebel groups. The situation remains fluid as the international community calls for an orderly political transition in Syria. The fall of Assad's regime raises significant questions about the future governance of the country, which has been devastated by years of civil war.

SOURCES:-
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...