Reuters
Syria’s Bashar al-Assad issued his first statement since being toppled from power, saying he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base on Dec. 8 as it came under drone attack, after leaving Damascus that morning with rebel fighters closing in. He was ousted after insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept through Syria in a lightning offensive, ending more than 50 years of iron-fisted rule by his family. “At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual party,” Assad said in the statement detailing the circumstances leading to his departure from Syria.
