Intl desk, Dec 09: Russian state media reports that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow and has been granted asylum after the Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that he stepped down and left the country.
Syrian opposition fighters say al-Assad’s 24-year rule has come to an end after they seized the capital, Damascus.
A curfew has been declared in Damascus after people took to the streets there and elsewhere to celebrate the downfall of al-Assad’s government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights following the opposition’s takeover in Syria. Israel has also carried out dozens of air strikes across Syria.
The dramatic turn of events comes after opposition forces seized several strategic cities in a lightning offensive.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing “is closely following the situation in Syria and hopes that stability will return as soon as possible”.
“We urge relevant parties in Syria to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria,” the spokesperson said.
The official added that China’s Embassy in Syria is still carrying out its duties and that the Chinese government has “been actively helping Chinese nationals who wish to leave the country”.
China has had friendly relations with al-Assad.
In September 2023, Beijing offered to help reconstruct the war-torn country as al-Assad visited the southern Chinese city of Hangzhou.
Source: News Agencies