In his first public statement since being overthrown, former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says that he

Context: Fall of the Assad regime.

In his first public statement since being overthrown, former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says that he "didn't intend to leave Syria", claiming that he went to Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia Governorate to "oversee combat operations" only to find that the Syrian Army had abandoned their positions and surrendered to rebel forces. Amid "an intensified attack by drone strikes" at the air base, Assad says that Russia decided to airlift him to Moscow. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yd0zz5edqo (BBC News)]

Event summary via Wikipedia Current Events (2024-12-16).