Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has issued his first statement since fleeing the country after the collapse of his regime.
Assad says he had no plans to leave Syria after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base came under attack.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Assad said he left Damascus on the morning of 8 December, hours after insurgents stormed the capital.
He said he moved in coordination with Russian allies to their base in the coastal province of Latakia, western Syria, where he planned to “oversee combat operations”.
Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is has been offered exile in Russia by President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Valeriy Sharifulin/Sputnik via Reuters)“As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes,” his statement reads.
“With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8 December.
“This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.”
The UK has confirmed it has made “diplomatic contact” with the rebel group that controls Syria after its recent takeover of major cities.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Sunday that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – which took control of the country following the lightning offensive that overthrew Assad – remains proscribed in Britain but “as you would expect” the Government has spoken to the organisation.
It comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Washington officials had been in direct contact with the group, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the State Department since 2018.
Sir Keir Starmer on Friday told a virtual meeting of the G7 leaders that “the fall of Assad’s brutal regime should be welcomed but we must be cautious about what comes next”.
This story is being updated.
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