Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained Damascus until the early morning of December 8, when the armed opposition entered the capital city, and he left the country only that evening, when he actually lost control of the rest of the country, Assad himself said in a statement.
"Assad had no intention of resigning and was not thinking of seeking asylum in the days of the terrorist attack (...). However, it made no sense for the president to stay in the country after seizing power," the statement adds.
Assad recognized the collapse of the governmental Syrian Arab Army and the public administration system, which, according to him, led to his decision to resign, writes Lenta.ru. In addition, he stated that he first went to Hmeimim airbase, and from there he flew to Russia, learning about the final fall of Damascus.
Assad's departure from Syria was not planned and did not take place in the last hours of the fighting, the statement said, RTVI reports.
After the rebels entered Damascus, the now former president, "in coordination with Russian allies," moved to Latakia to monitor the military operations.
"On arrival at the Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces were completely withdrawn from all battle lines, and the last positions of the army fell. (...). Since it was impossible to leave the base, Moscow petitioned to the command of the base on the evening of Sunday, December 8, with a request to organize an immediate evacuation," the statement reads.
According to Assad, during these events he "never thought about resigning or seeking asylum" and received no offers to do so.
After the terrorists seized power, it was pointless to stay in the presidency, reads the statement by Bashar al-Assad, who resigned from the post of Syrian president.
Assad assured, however, that his connection with Syria and its people is unshakable, reports RTVI. He hopes that Syria will become free and independent again.
