In a dramatic twist to the ongoing story of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a report claimed that he had died in a plane crash, only for that information to be quickly dismissed and replaced with a different story. Here’s what happened:
Over the weekend, rumors spread like wildfire that Assad had died in a plane crash. The confusion started when Assad was seen leaving Syria in the early hours of Sunday morning, just as fierce fighting broke out in Damascus. The city was being attacked by a rebel group, Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), and fighters from the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).
According to a flight tracking website, Flightradar24, a plane believed to be carrying Assad took off from Damascus, heading toward the Mediterranean Sea. But then something strange happened—the plane made a sudden U-turn and vanished from the radar. This mysterious event triggered speculation that something terrible had happened. Reuters, citing anonymous sources from Syria, reported that it was “highly likely” Assad had died in the crash.
Soon after, Russia’s official news agency, TASS, confirmed that Assad had safely arrived in Moscow and was granted asylum, squashing the death rumors. Russian officials were furious. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, took to Telegram, calling out Reuters for spreading what she labeled as “fake news.”
Zakharova even questioned whether Reuters would retract its story about Assad’s death. She argued that Reuters had fallen into the trap of spreading lies, a claim that Russia often accuses the West of doing. As the news of Assad’s safe arrival in Moscow spread, Reuters quietly updated their report, removing the part about the plane crash.
So, what really happened? Assad had decided to leave Syria due to escalating tensions in the capital, where HTS and the FSA were gaining ground. But rather than fight, Assad chose to step down peacefully. Russian officials confirmed that he had made this decision after secret talks with opposition groups. They emphasized that Russia wasn’t directly involved in those discussions, though they remained in contact with various Syrian factions, urging them to find a diplomatic solution.
Despite the confusion and the furious backlash against Reuters, the truth is that Assad’s flight was not as mysterious as it seemed. It was a turning point in the Syrian conflict, signaling that Assad’s time in power might be coming to an end. But for now, at least, he is alive and safe in Moscow—much to the frustration of those who had hoped the rumors of his death would be true.
