Former Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum, Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA reported Sunday, citing an unidentified Kremlin source, as his family’s 50-year rule ended amid a stunning rebel victory in Damascus.
The reports emerged as Syrians flooded Damascus streets in celebration, with crowds gathering at the historic Umayyad Square and other locations across the capital. RIA reported Moscow had secured guarantees from Syrian insurgents regarding the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic facilities in Syria.
Rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who has renounced his former al-Qaida ties, made his first public appearance at the Umayyad Mosque, calling Assad’s fall “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Using his given name Ahmad al-Sharaa, he accused Assad of making Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.”
“It’s like a dream. I need someone to wake me up,” said opposition fighter Abu Laith, describing how rebels were welcomed into Damascus “with love.” Scenes of celebration recalled the early Arab Spring, with people waving pre-Assad Syrian flags and honking car horns while others entered the abandoned presidential palace.
The rebels moved quickly to establish order, announcing a nighttime curfew and posting guards at government buildings. At the Justice Ministry, Judge Khitam Haddad said forces were protecting official documents from chaos. Commander Anas Salkhadi appeared on state television to reassure minorities, declaring “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.”
Russia has requested an emergency UN Security Council session to discuss the rapidly evolving situation, according to Russia’s UN deputy representative Dmitry Polyansky.
