In first statement since his ouster, Assad denies 'planned' departure from Syria

In first statement since his ouster, Bashar al-Assad on Monday said his departure from Syria was not planned and that Moscow requested his evacuation from a military base that was under attack.

“My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles,” AFP quoted a statement as saying on the ousted presidency’s Telegram channel.

Assad revealed that he left Damascus on December 8 as opposition forces closed in on the capital. His evacuation to Russia followed drone strikes on the Russian-controlled Khmeimim airbase in Latakia.

After fleeing Damascus, Assad said he oversaw combat operations from Latakia but admitted that all military positions had collapsed.

“Moscow requested… an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday December 8,” added the statement.

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“When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose,” the statement read.

Assad also said in a statement on his Facebook page that he had planned to keep fighting but the Russians evacuated him.

He said that “at no time during the events that have taken place in Syria” had he considered leaving the country, according to the TASS news agency.

Bashar al-Assad came to power in 2000, succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron grip for nearly three decades.

Once thought unassailable, Assad’s rule collapsed on December 8 under the pressure of a rapid offensive led by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front affiliated with terror group Al-Qaeda, and allied factions.

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With inputs from agencies