According to data from the Flightradar website, a Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels.
Syria Crisis: In a major development, Syria’s army command on Sunday notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, according to a Reuters report quoting a Syrian officer. This comes after President Bashar al-Assad faced a rapid rebel offensive that took the world by surprise. Syrian rebels, who said Damascus was “now free of Assad”, are expected to broadcast their first statement to the Syrian people on state television, two rebel sources said.
Bashar al-Assad dead?
Reports are emerging that the plane carrying President Bashar al-Assad has crashed, following earlier reports that he had fled the country with his family. However, India.com has not yet been able to independently verify the news of the crash.
Earlier on Sunday, Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. Thousands in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom” from a half century of Assad family rule, witnesses said.
The dramatic collapse marks a seismic moment for the Middle East, ending the family’s iron-fisted rule over Syria and dealing a massive blow to Russia and Iran, which have lost a key ally at the heart of the region.
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the rebels said, referring to a large military prison on the outskirts of Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.
According to data from the Flightradar website, a Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels.
The head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad, Hadi al-Bahra Syrian, declared Damascus was now “without Bashar al-Assad”.