British News Agency

According to a statement published on Monday on the official Telegram account of the Syrian presidency and attributed to Bashar al-Assad, the ousted Syrian president did not plan to leave the country.

The post stated: "My departure from Syria was neither planned nor occurred in the final hours of the conflict, as some claim. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, 2024, fulfilling my duties."

The statement also claimed that Assad went to Russia's Hmeymim airbase in Syria on the morning of December 8, and after the base was attacked, Russia asked him to evacuate the site.

"Unable to find a suitable way to leave the base, Moscow requested the base command to arrange an emergency evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8. This evacuation occurred one day after Damascus fell."

"At no point during these events did I consider resignation or asylum, nor was such an offer made to me. The only course of action was to continue fighting against terrorist attacks," the statement said.

Assad claimed that his presidential role became "meaningless" after the country fell into the hands of "terrorists."

"When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to contribute meaningfully is lost, any position becomes purposeless and redundant."

According to an official source in Russia, Assad and his family arrived in Moscow on the night of December 8 after being granted asylum for "humanitarian reasons," as reported by state media.