Assad says he stayed in Damascus until December 8, denies resignation plans

The former president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, has revealed that he stayed in the capital until the early hours of December 8 and only left the country later that evening.

Assad stated that "at no point during the events that unfolded in Syria" did he entertain the idea of resigning or fleeing, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Syrian presidency's Telegram channel.

The comment, in a statement that was published on December 16 from Moscow, was Assad's first in public since he was toppled more than a week ago by a rebel offensive.

The decades-long reign of the Assad family in Syria came to a dramatic and sudden halt on December 8, when rebel forces captured Damascus following a swift and unexpected offensive across the country.

To recap, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, a senior commander of the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), announced the victory, revealing that the rebel forces stormed through Syria at an astonishing pace, entering Damascus overnight. The rapid advance forced Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and relinquish the presidency, effectively bringing an end to the regime that had ruled Syria for over 40 years.

Russia, a long-time ally of the Assad government, confirmed the president’s departure and the collapse of the regime, which had previously relied on Russian military support to suppress what began as a peaceful protest movement and escalated into a brutal civil war.

In a statement, the HTS General Command also reported the liberation of detainees from Sednaya Prison, a notorious military facility on the outskirts of Damascus where thousands of political prisoners had been held by the Syrian government.

The fall of Damascus marks a decisive moment in the ongoing conflict, signalling the potential for a significant shift in Syria's future. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev