Moscow [Russia], December 9: The RIA Novosti and TASS news agencies on December 8 quoted Kremlin sources as saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and were granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. Mr. al-Assad and the Kremlin have not made any official statements.
The developments came after Syrian opposition forces took control of the capital Damascus and declared the fall of al-Assad's regime after nearly a quarter of a century.
The capture of Damascus marks the culmination of an 11-day blitzkrieg launched by a coalition of opposition forces led by Hayay Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group widely considered a terrorist group. Starting in the northern province of Idlib, the former al-Qaeda affiliate quickly pushed Syrian government forces out of a series of major cities before advancing on Damascus.
According to TASS, Russia supports a political solution to the Syrian crisis and emphasizes the restoration of UN-mediated dialogue. In addition, Russian officials are also in contact with representatives of the military opposition, with the leaders of the coalition pledging to ensure the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria.
HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani said in his first speech in Damascus that the overthrow of Mr al-Assad's government was "a victory for the entire Islamic state".
The National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces announced that it is forming a transition body involving all forces to build a free and democratic country.
The Alliance is committed to building a strategic partnership with all countries in the region and the world to build a new Syria for all its people, representing all ethnicities and religions.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
