Syria’s ousted dictator Bashar Assad has stated he by no means thought of resigning and denies “planned” departure from Syria, in his first response since being toppled by anti-regime forces final week.
“I did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier,” Assad stated. The feedback are the primary by Assad since he was overthrown on Dec. 8 by anti-regime forces, who are actually working to determine safety and begin a political transition.
Assad stated that he left Damascus on the morning of Dec. 8, hours after anti-regime forces stormed the capital. He stated he left in coordination with Russian allies to the Russian base within the coastal province of Latakia, the place he deliberate to maintain combating.
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge nor was such proposal made by any individual or party,” Assad stated within the English textual content of his assertion. “The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.”
But upon arriving on the Russian air base that morning “it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.”
The Russian navy base got here “under intensified attack by drone strikes” and “with no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia”, the assertion stated.
The Kremlin stated on Dec. 9 that President Vladimir Putin had made the choice to grant Assad asylum in Russia, which deployed its air pressure to Syria in 2015 to assist him repel opposition forces.
Reuters reported final week that Assad confided in virtually nobody about his plans to flee Syria. Instead, aides, officers and even family have been deceived or saved at nighttime, greater than a dozen folks with information of the occasions informed Reuters.
Source: www.dailysabah.com