The ex-leader of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, who fled the country after opposition forces seized Damascus, has received political asylum in Russia for himself and members of his family, as reported by the TASS news agency, citing a source familiar with the matter in the Kremlin.
«President of Syria Assad and his family members have arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted them political asylum on humanitarian grounds,» the media outlet reported.
The source also stated that leaders of the Syrian opposition assured Russian authorities that there is no threat to Russian military bases and diplomatic facilities in the country.
«Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow. Russia never leaves behind its friends when tough times come,» Mikhail Ulyanov, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, later confirmed.
The ex-president of Syria left the country amidst a lightning-fast offensive by opposition forces led by Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (prohibited in Kazakhstan).
The Syrian opposition has announced that it is ready to pay a $10 million reward for any information that could help detain President Assad, the RBC news agency reported, citing Alsaa, Yeni Safak and Ipekyol. The opposition’s Military Operations Department also proclaimed Assad a wanted person and promised to pay a good reward for him, dead or alive, Milliyet reported. However, the Turkish newspaper hasn’t clarified the sum of the bounty.
Syrian rebels have also launched a massive offensive against Kurdish military groups in the northern part of Syria, The Times of Israel reported.
