Where is Bashar al-Assad? Speculation grows as Syrian leader’s whereabouts remain a mystery
Bashar al-Assad’s long-standing reign. The capture of the Syrian capital comes after rebels seized northern Aleppo last week and rapidly advanced southwards, overrunning key cities like Homs. The takeover severed Damascus from the Alawite-dominated coastal regions, long considered Assad’s stronghold.
Two senior Syrian military officials confirmed that Assad fled the capital aboard a plane on Sunday. Flightradar24 data showed a Syrian Air aircraft departing Damascus but abruptly vanishing from radar. Speculation abounds about whether the plane’s transponder was deactivated or if it was downed. “It disappeared off the radar, possibly the transponder was switched off, but I believe the bigger probability is that the aircraft was taken down,” a source stated, speaking anonymously.
Syria Civil War: The Uncertainty Around Assad's Whereabouts
Conflicting accounts about Assad’s location have further muddied the waters. While Iranian media published a photo allegedly showing him meeting an Iranian official in Damascus, state broadcasts stopped as rebels closed in on the capital. One Syrian official grimly noted, “If he was on that plane, the probability of him being alive is slim.”
Adding to the mystery, Syrian state media maintained as late as Saturday that Assad remained in the capital. However, the only trackable post-midnight flight from Syria was a commercial plane heading to the UAE, leaving open the question of whether Assad or his family were aboard. His wife Asma and their two children are also unaccounted for.
