On December 8, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had decided to step down from the presidency and fled the country following a peaceful transition of power.
Assad’s whereabouts are unknown.
The ministry said that they call on all parties involved to refrain from the use of violence and resolve all governance issues through political means, adding that Russia is in contact with all Syrian opposition groups in this regard.
Syrian rebels launched an offensive in northwestern Syria on Nov. 27. They captured the second northern city of Aleppo on Nov. 30, the fourth central city of Hama on Dec. 5, and the capital Damascus on Nov. 7, following the capture of the third central city of Homs.
The Syrian rebels are led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the largest Syrian rebel group, and joined by anti-government small armed groups backed by Turkey.
