Speculation about the whereabouts of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have left Damascus on the night of December 7, according to a senior Israeli official, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The official said Mr Assad may intend to continue his travels to Moscow, although there is currently no confirmation that he has left Syria.

A senior US official also said the country was monitoring Mr Assad's departure from Damascus and " believed he was planning to fly to Russia".

Further details regarding the purpose of the trip have not been disclosed.

Portrait of Mr. Assad in Aleppo, northern Syria. (Photo: Getty)

On December 8, Reuters quoted its own sources as saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left Damascus for an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, rebels are advancing rapidly into the center of Damascus without encountering any resistance from the Syrian army.

Reuters quoted witnesses as saying that thousands of people were pouring into the central square of Damascus in response to news that President Bashar al-Assad's government was gradually collapsing.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on December 8 that Mr. Assad may be outside Syria.

On December 6, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Assad’s wife and three of their children had also left Syria. The newspaper also said that Mr. Assad’s two brothers-in-law had left the country for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE president’s foreign affairs adviser, Anwar Gargash, said on December 8 that he did not know whether Mr. Assad was in the UAE.

The UAE granted asylum to former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in 2021 after he fled Kabul during the Taliban takeover.

There is still no solid information or confirmation about the Syrian leader's whereabouts.

Phuong Anh (Source: Jerusalem Post, Arab News)

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