Deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have landed in Moscow, where they are being granted shelter by Russia, according to Russian state media agency TASS.
The event comes after Syrian opposition forces launched a large-scale onslaught, precipitating the sudden demise of al-Assad’s administration. On Sunday morning, rebel militants pushed into Damascus, capturing the city and forcing regime soldiers to flee.
According to TASS, al-Assad “resigned” amid internal Syrian discussions before exiting the country. His arrival in Moscow marks the end of his 13-year tenure, which saw Syria immersed in a brutal civil conflict.
The rapid collapse of al-Assad’s administration is likely to change the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape. Analysts believe that Assad’s allies, Russia and Iran, failed to give significant support during the conflict’s closing phases, reducing their regional influence.
Kremlin appeared to be shifting its focus toward interaction with Syria’s new opposition leadership, even though it hosted Assad. A Kremlin source who was cited by TASS reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to UN-mediated negotiations and a political settlement.
According to the source:
“Russia has always supported a political resolution to the Syrian crisis. We are in touch with representatives of the armed Syrian opposition, who have guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria.”
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cc: Daily Post Ng