Has Syrian President Assad fled amid rebels' advance? What we know so far
Rumors are swirling about Assad's whereabouts as rebels advance. Reports suggest he may have fled to Russia, while the government insists he is in Damascus.
As rebel factions continue their march towards Syria's capital, a sense of fear and confusion grips the streets of Damascus. With the government offering little clarity about the ongoing situation, many residents are left in the dark about the fate of their city and their country.
In several suburbs, once-symbolic images of the Assad regime have been torn down or toppled, signaling a visible shift in the capital's atmosphere. The government insists it is strengthening its defences, with the interior ministry claiming to have built a "ring of steel" around the city. However, this claim has been met with skepticism as the government has failed to protect many cities, towns, and villages that have already fallen to rebel factions across Syria. (Latest Updates)
Amid the chaos, rumors are swirling over the whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, with speculation intensifying as flights in and out of Damascus are closely monitored in hopes of discovering his next move.
Some reports claim he has fled to Russia, while others say he and his family have taken refuge in Jordan. His office has denied these reports, asserting that Assad is still in the capital and at work. Yet, despite these assurances, there has been no visible sign of the president in recent days.
Syria civil war: What is happening now?
For the first time in the Syria's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus.
The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army.
The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war.
Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes.
The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.”
In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country.
Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price.
“The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions.
“People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.”
It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege.
What happens is Assad is overthrown?
If Assad is indeed out of the picture, Syria faces a power vacuum. The opposition is deeply fractured, with rebel factions often at odds with one another. Although the rebel group's leader has tried to reassure various communities that they will not impose their radical views, fear and skepticism remain high among many Syrians who fear what comes next.
The potential for further chaos looms large, as factional infighting could plunge Syria into even greater disarray. In an already volatile region, the rise of multiple competing groups could exacerbate regional instability, with unpredictable consequences for neighboring countries.
Despite these uncertainties, there is a glimmer of hope among many Syrians, both inside and outside the country. For the first time in years, there is a shared sense of possibility—the hope that they might one day return to their homes, lost during the brutal war that began when Assad's violent crackdown on protests triggered the conflict. For some, this hope is the only thing that sustains them in an environment where fear, uncertainty, and violence dominate their everyday lives.
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