Mon Dec 09 07:40:00 UTC 2024: ## Assad Flees Syria as Rebel Forces Seize Aleppo and Advance on Damascus

**Moscow, Russia** – In a stunning turn of events, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country following a rapid rebel offensive that has seen the capture of Aleppo and a significant advance towards Damascus. Russia, Assad’s longtime ally and military backer, has granted him and his family asylum “on humanitarian grounds,” according to Kremlin sources.

The swift collapse of the Assad regime, which has been propped up by extensive Russian military intervention since 2015, has left Moscow scrambling to respond. The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed “extreme concern” over the situation, while state media outlets have shifted blame towards the Syrian army’s perceived lack of resistance. State television host Evgeny Kiselyov questioned the apparent ease with which rebel forces, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, captured key territories.

Russia’s involvement in Syria, initially framed as a demonstration of global power and a challenge to Western influence, appears to have culminated in a significant setback. Despite years of military support, including the establishment of key air and naval bases, Russia’s investment in Assad’s regime has ultimately proved insufficient to prevent its dramatic downfall.

The rebel offensive, launched 12 days ago, has resulted in the deaths of at least 910 people, including 138 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. HTS, a group previously affiliated with al-Qaeda, has consolidated its control in Idlib and Aleppo provinces and established a self-proclaimed government. While HTS claims to be working towards a more inclusive Syria, international concerns remain high given its history and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Assad’s future and the fate of the country. The situation remains volatile, with the full extent of the rebel advance and the immediate future of Syria still unclear.

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